According to police, physicians and civil servants allegedly bullying victims of suspects and aides.
The deputy chairman of a non-profit organization and his close associate have been detained for allegedly selling illegal drugs to customers, largely civil servants.
Sretthayos” Jae Keng” Khumnark, 42, deputy director of a nicely- known school in Pak Kret district of Nonthaburi was arrested with Kritchaphat” Best” Udomanuphapsuk, 37, a Bangkok resident, at a property room on Rattanathibet Road in Muang city of Nonthaburi on Tuesday evening, said Pol Maj Gen Theeradet Thumsuthee, analytical commander of the Metropolitan Police Bureau ( MPB).
The duo were wanted on a police arrest warrant that the Bangkok South Criminal Court issued in June 2021 for the unlawful possession of Category 1 drugs ( crystal methamphetamine ) with the intention to sell. The same court issued another warrant in October 2021 for illegal possession of Category 1 drugs ( methamphetamine ) for sale and use.
In regions that are under the purview of Sutthisarn, Bang Phongphang, and Thung Mahamek officers facilities in Bangkok, a criminal record check revealed that Kritchaphat was charged with drug trafficking in at least four cases between 2014 and 2021.
Initial charges were brought by police as part of a collusion with the unlawful possession of crystal methamphetamine or “ice” with the intention to buy. Seized from the room were two capsules of “ice”, 31, 500 ringgit in funds, five banks certificates showing 1.3 million baht in flow during the past three weeks, 200 condoms, 100 packs of fluid gel, 50 packs of Viagra and other items.
According to Pol Maj Gen Theeradet, the arrest came after MPB investigators learned that there was a place in Nonthaburi where men, many of them civil servants, gathered to have sex with other men.
Officers seize drugs and other items and search the room of the two suspects in Nonthaburi. ( Photo supplied/Wassayos Ngamkham )
According to the police investigation, a person named” Top”, claiming to a cardiologist, had duped some male medical personnel into taking drugs that he claimed to be” tonics” for their health. The victims later developed addictions and were tricked into producing videos. According to investigators, the fictitious cardiologist was then able to blackmail them into millions of baht.
Police later found that the wanted man was in fact Kritchaphat, who was the subject of two arrest warrants for drug offences, said Pol Maj Gen Theeradet.
Following that, Kritchaphat’s drug parties were discovered. When they searched the room on Tuesday night, they also discovered Sretthayos, who is alleged to be the gang’s leader.
Both men denied any involvement in illicit drugs, despite the search evidence to the contrary, said Pol Maj Gen Theeradet. The pair’s urine tests revealed signs of drug use as well.
During questioning, Sretthayos admitted he was a civil servant at a school in Pak Kret district. He claimed to have started taking drugs in the middle of last year and then started purchasing them for sale on Twitter. His customers in the Rattanathibet neighborhood were teenagers and civil servants.
He claimed to have spoken to Kritchaphat about their recent romantic relationship last year and that they frequently visited his room. He reportedly said he asked” Top” to sell drugs.
Kritchaphat confessed to all charges. He claimed to have worked as an organizer for a year before pursuing a master’s degree at a university in the Pathumwan area. He claimed to have received an engineering degree from a university in the Rangsit area. He then began taking drugs while working for an insurance company. In 2014, he served 15 months on jail for drug offences, he said.
He was forced to sell drugs and was unable to find employment after being released from jail. Although he had two doctor boyfriends, they were unsuccessful.
He insisted that he had not swindled money from the doctors and that they had become dependent on the drugs he had brought for them.
At the Rattanathibet station, the arresting team instructed the police to file a legal action against the two suspects.