Ex-councillor among 5 nabbed in drug bust
Anti-narcotics agents on Wednesday arrested five people including a former member of the Uthai Thani provincial council as they were allegedly delivering 100,000 amphetamine tables to a house in Phetchabun province.
The Office of the Narcotics Control Board (ONCB) is in the process of seizing assets worth about Bt20 million belonging to former councillor Saichol Pharadorn. The assets were taken from Saichol's car-care centre in Chon Buri's Pattaya area, said ONCB director-general Lt-General Krissana Phol-anant. Saichol, last a councillor in 2001, was arrested with four others and all five stand accused of being part of a major drug ring. Somkiat Temsaengkhunmanee was caught driving a pickup truck loaded with the tablets, while Saichol and Manop Khunbanthao were arrested nearby in a sports utility vehicle. Sornchai Sangkheet and Thassanee Sangmee were caught allegedly escorting the pick-up to Phetchabun. ONCB agents found another 5,756 amphetamine tablets at Thassanee's home in Phetchabun province. Police seized 69 items, thought to have been bought by Saichol with ill-gotten earnings, including cash, five cars and gold ornaments. Saichol narrowly escaped an ONCB arrest in April 2001 in Nakhon Sawan province, during a raid in which her former husband, Somphong Kasiri, was nabbed with 4,000 amphetamine tablets.
|
