Crime Correspondent: Thailand

Steven Peter Hipwell, 32, was arrested by Cherng Talay Police on December 22 at 4.30 pm allegedly in possession of two bags of cocaine

<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzYcPGFMfJNoC-MIO1VasRUzo1u17stm0TDFbYQ0HFaXTaH1rZ-5OsRtBfMnel01K8kF5IxeRdYwgxPgK1DOtepqhfelvPBLc2OsBqi3Xp7wAlvDlL1S3s11wScoeOklC7UubLTQmTVYE/s1600-h/20081224120449_1_normal.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5283703735035037826" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzYcPGFMfJNoC-MIO1VasRUzo1u17stm0TDFbYQ0HFaXTaH1rZ-5OsRtBfMnel01K8kF5IxeRdYwgxPgK1DOtepqhfelvPBLc2OsBqi3Xp7wAlvDlL1S3s11wScoeOklC7UubLTQmTVYE/s400/20081224120449_1_normal.jpg" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 375px; height: 281px;" /></a> Steven Peter Hipwell, 32, was arrested by Cherng Talay Police on December 22 at 4.30 pm allegedly in possession of two bags of cocaine totaling 0.6 and 0.7 grams. His arrest came in a sting operation involving another Englishman ,who had been arrested on drug charges by police in Patong days earlier.Police alleged that David Pet had been caught with cocaine on Nanai Road, and while being held he told police that Hipwell had sold him the drugs.Police then arranged a sting and raid on Hipwell's house, where David ''bought'' the cocaine while police waited outside.Police searched Hipwell's home. Officers said they found another small packet of cocaine in a money jar.Hipwell is being held in Phuket jail while the court considers bail.Both Pet and Hipwell were living and working in Phuket, police say

Steven Peter Hipwell, 32, was arrested by Cherng Talay Police on December 22 at 4.30 pm allegedly in possession of two bags of cocaine

Steven Peter Hipwell, 32, was arrested by Cherng Talay Police on December 22 at 4.30 pm allegedly in possession of two bags of cocaine total...

Sentence passed Alan Malkov and Vladimir Agronik (34 years old) were found guilty of having Extasy in their posession with intent to supply.

Sentenced was passed today on two Jewish men involved in an International drug smuggling case.The two are alleged members of a gang who export extasy from Europe to the USA, Australia, New (Zealand, Japan and Thailand.Both the USA and Thailand had issued arrest warrants for the men, who were fooled into a fake sale by US D.E.A. agents and Thai Vice Squad at the end of last year.They were caught with over 20 thousand Extasy pills.The Courts made the unanimous decision to Execute the two men - a further two men, Thai Nationals from Chiang Mai were sentenced, but the Death penalty was lowered because they admitted their guilt and these two should get away with about 25 years each in prison and a further fine of 2 million baht. In room 709 of the National Criminal Courts in Ratchadapisek on the 25th of November Mr. Alan Malkov (37 years old), and Mr. Vladimir Agronik (34 years old) were found guilty of having Extasy in their posession with intent to supply. The two were tricked into a dummy sale by Thai police in conjuncton with US D.E.A. agents, who "bought" 20,049 pills at a propsed sale of 5 dollars per pill from Mr. Malkov, who had agreed to deliver the goods to the Wiang Tai hotel in Soi Rambutri near the Khao Sarn Road in Bangkok.At 21:00 there, Mr.Agronik appeared with a red suitcase containing the drugs and dleivered it to the undercover policemen, upon which the police raided and arrested him.After making the arrest of Mr.Agronik, the police managed to arrest Mr. Malkov in front of the Boots pharmacy in Thanon Jakrapong .The defendant denied the charges, but the Judges considered the facts and testimonies of the witnesses, and ordered both men to be Executed as punishment.On the same day - Two Chiang Mai men were sentenced to Life Imprisonment and 4 Million baht fines each; Mr. Chadtri jantdtong (46) and Mr. Ja Er Jalorbu (28) were caught with 38 thousand "Yaba" pills (methyl amphetamine). Because they agreed to their guilty plea, they were shown mercy and not given the Death Sentence, having their sentences lowered to 25 years and a 2 million baht fine each.

Sentence passed Alan Malkov and Vladimir Agronik (34 years old) were found guilty of having Extasy in their posession with intent to supply.

Sentenced was passed today on two Jewish men involved in an International drug smuggling case.The two are alleged members of a gang who expo...

James Kinch, the alleged British go-between with the Dutch crime gang, was arrested in Thailand last June and is fighting extradition to Australia.

Standen, 51, has been charged with conspiring with Blacktown food wholesaler Bakhos "Bill" Jalalaty, 45, and Briton James Kinch, 49.Kinch, the alleged British go-between with the Dutch crime gang, was arrested in Thailand last June and is fighting extradition to Australia.Jalalaty appeared briefly before Central Local Court today via a video link from Park Lea jail but did not apply for bail. Both he and Standen were ordered to reappear before the court on September 10 when Standen's legal team are expected to make a renewed bid for him to be released on bail.Evidence gathered in Britain and the Netherlands of an alleged plot by former Crime Commission investigator Mark Standen to import $120 million worth of drugs may take up to four months to be handed to the Australian Federal Police.The delay in transcribing into English evidence from telephone intercepts of the alleged deal with a Dutch crime syndicate was revealed by the AFP in Sydney's Central Local Court today.Magistrate Allan Moore was told that Federal Police had already given Standen's defence team 13 volumes of evidence of its two-year surveillance and phone and email intercept operation on him in Australia, which uncovered the drug conspiracy.Standen, who did not appear before the court today, was charged last June with conspiring to import 600 kilograms of pseudoephedrine into Australia from Pakistan in a deal struck with a Dutch crime gang.The precursor drugs, which were to have been hidden in bags of rice, were sufficient to make 500 kilograms of the drug ice worth $120 million, police have alleged in previous evidence. In remanding both men to remain in custody, Mr Moore also ordered Corrective Services to provide Standen, who is in strict isolation, with a computer so he can read and listen to the evidence against him.

James Kinch, the alleged British go-between with the Dutch crime gang, was arrested in Thailand last June and is fighting extradition to Australia.

Standen, 51, has been charged with conspiring with Blacktown food wholesaler Bakhos "Bill" Jalalaty, 45, and Briton James Kinch, 4...

Shahriar Zarghamzade, who the Narcotics Suppression Bureau named a key figure in the drug dealing operation.

Thai police have arrested three foreigners and two Thais on charges of narcotics possession and selling drugs to tourists in the southern resort island of Samui, the drugs agency said Sunday. Working with the US Drug Enforcement Agency, Thai police on Friday arrested 38-year-old Iranian national Shahriar Zarghamzade, who the Narcotics Suppression Bureau named a key figure in the drug dealing operation. He was charged with conspiring to commit unspecified drug offences. A 30-year-old Thai woman was arrested at his Samui home at the same time and charged with assisting a suspect.Two others were detained in the same operation: a man holding Iranian and Turkish passports, who was found with a small amount of heroin, and a 34-year-old Briton, who had a small bag of cocaine.They were both charged with possession. Meanwhile, a 36-year-old Thai man was arrested elsewhere in Samui with bags of cocaine. He was charged with drug dealing and owning an unlicensed firearm. 'Drug dealing in famous tourist spots like Samui or Phangagn islands has damaged the economy and the country's image, as well as having a social impact,' the Narcotics Suppression Bureau said in a statement.Police gave no further details of the operation or the DEA's involvement, saying only that several bank accounts were frozen, and cash in many currencies and other valuables were seized during the swoop.

Shahriar Zarghamzade, who the Narcotics Suppression Bureau named a key figure in the drug dealing operation.

Thai police have arrested three foreigners and two Thais on charges of narcotics possession and selling drugs to tourists in the southern re...

John Paul Jones was rushed to hospital with acute stomach ache was arrested after a doctor found 65 packages containing drugs

<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNPkYxBx0OeXVMg4NTOOpbqAoqZ52wl-gY6t-K7N4Ugp4AjX_1pRICnC8DjHVEZCJ66j_0u9xE53sbu-OllzJf3jPtPkBcOd2JFLi_RfPmoGoYWyIKMdHhRECK8-cXMVjHaGbR5Hph1RI/s1600-h/CA0FL3IA.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5188876117174651474" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNPkYxBx0OeXVMg4NTOOpbqAoqZ52wl-gY6t-K7N4Ugp4AjX_1pRICnC8DjHVEZCJ66j_0u9xE53sbu-OllzJf3jPtPkBcOd2JFLi_RfPmoGoYWyIKMdHhRECK8-cXMVjHaGbR5Hph1RI/s400/CA0FL3IA.jpg" style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" /></a> Australian tourist who was rushed to hospital with acute stomach ache was arrested after a doctor found 65 packages containing drugs worth more than one million baht in his stomach. The provincial hospital alerted police late on Friday night when an X-ray of John Paul Jones, 51, revealed suspicious objects, shaped like a string of sausages, in his intestine. The objects were later extracted and identified as 800 grammes of hashish. Worapob Sutiwatanaruput, the doctor supervising the case, said Mr Jones experienced severe stomach pain after staying on the tourist island of Samui for five days and was taken to hospital. ''Before the operation, Mr Jones looked nervous and asked whether police would be notified. We found 62 black objects obstructing his small intestine. Three packs had burst,'' Dr Worapob said. The hash was wrapped in condoms and each pack was about two inches long. The operation to extract the packages took two hours and Mr Jones remained in critical condition yesterday, the doctor said. Police said the hash, regarded as a category 5 drug, was not produced in Thailand. The drug was likely to have been made in India or Pakistan and is popular among tourists who take part in the full moon parties on Koh Phangan, an island close to Samui. It is sold at 1,500-2,000 baht a gramme. Police said Mr Jones would be charged and detained for interrogation. Provincial governor Vinai Buapradit suspected Mr Jones swallowed the drugs when he was overseas so he could pass through drug detectors and sniffer dogs at airports and at the pier on Samui where boats leave for Koh Phangan. Pinyo Thongchai, the deputy chief of the Department of Special Investigation, said trans-national criminal groups were rampant on Koh Samui. As well as the Bandidos motorcycle gang, which recently faced a crackdown by authorities, there were also international mafia gangs doing illegal businesses in drugs, land and property deals and extorting money from foreign businessmen. In June last year police on Koh Samui arrested Frenchman Pittet Pasca Maorica, 53, who was also admitted to Samui International Hospital after suffering from stomach pain. Doctors found one kilogramme of heroin in his stomach.

John Paul Jones was rushed to hospital with acute stomach ache was arrested after a doctor found 65 packages containing drugs

Australian tourist who was rushed to hospital with acute stomach ache was arrested after a doctor found 65 packages containing drugs worth m...

Ashly Vincent Livingston,Edwin Richard Crawly were picked up on warrants issued by the United States and implemented in cooperation with the US DEA

Two Britons were arrested Friday in the Thai seaside resort of Pattaya on charges of using the Internet to illegally export steroids to the United States, police said. Police gave the names of the two detained men as Ashly Vincent Livingston, 45, and Edwin Richard Crawly, 44. They were arrested in a sting operation involving US anti-drug agents, police said.The Britons were picked up on warrants issued by the United States and implemented in cooperation with the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).The men are set to be extradited to the United States as Thai police said they face no charges in the kingdom.The Britons, who were living in Pattaya with their Thai wives, also had 40 million baht (1.2 million dollars) worth of their assets frozen, police said.Livingston's wife was arrested on a separate Thai warrant for drugs charges, police added.Livingston and Crawly set up an online store to sell steroids to customers in the United States. Steroids are legal in Thailand but are a controlled substance in the US.Earlier this month, the DEA worked with Thai police on an elaborate sting operation to arrest alleged Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout, who has been charged in New York with conspiracy to provide arms to terrorists. Bout is being held in Thailand while prosecutors decide whether to bring him before a Thai court before extraditing him to the United States.

Ashly Vincent Livingston,Edwin Richard Crawly were picked up on warrants issued by the United States and implemented in cooperation with the US DEA

Two Britons were arrested Friday in the Thai seaside resort of Pattaya on charges of using the Internet to illegally export steroids to the ...

Khun Sontaya , Khun Niroot , Khun Wachara, Khun Chorchtawon ,charged with suspicion of dealing class 5 and class 1 drugs

Police Lieutenant Colonel Boonreut from the Tourist Police Special Investigations Unit from Bangkok conducted an operation on Walking Street...

Viktor Bou arrested U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration information

<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhibf2skBkwiR05Oprg3diAJ9oPI8j_5XOypbkK5uPNYEVMpfZgICXtbu7cYQ_lx_-adWgftzBiN_QLKJxFMJpUkOwfMwmgNuIRdhDVh88XVozW6xhebckqCrIVXssIG2IzI3hzwR9wekA/s1600-h/P1TA.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5174928068714602098" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhibf2skBkwiR05Oprg3diAJ9oPI8j_5XOypbkK5uPNYEVMpfZgICXtbu7cYQ_lx_-adWgftzBiN_QLKJxFMJpUkOwfMwmgNuIRdhDVh88XVozW6xhebckqCrIVXssIG2IzI3hzwR9wekA/s320/P1TA.jpg" style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" /></a> A Russian dubbed the "Merchant of Death'' for allegedly supplying weapons to Africa's bloody conflicts over power and diamonds was arrested Thursday in Thailand on suspicion of conspiring to smuggle guns to Colombia's leftist rebels. Viktor Bout, 41, whose dealings reportedly inspired a 2005 movie about the illicit arms trade, was arrested at U.S. request in his hotel room in Bangkok, said police Lt. Gen. Pongpat Chayapan. Bout had eluded arrest for years and was finally seized after a four-month sting organized by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. In New York, federal authorities unsealed a criminal complaint charging that Bout conspired to sell millions of dollars worth of weapons, including 100 surface-to-air missiles and armor-piercing rockets, that he thought were going to the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia.The leftist group, which has been fighting Colombia's government for more than four decades, is listed by the U.S. as a terror group. Bout and an associate, Andrew Smulian, were charged with "conspiring to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization.''Thai police Col. Petcharat Sengchai said Smulian was still being sought.The U.S. is seeking Bout's extradition, but he will remain in Thailand pending an investigation into whether he used the Southeast Asian nation as a base to negotiate arms deals, officials said Friday. "We do intend to extradite him,'' Thomas Pasquarello, regional director of the DEA, told a news conference. But the timing still has "to be worked out between the two nations.''Handcuffed and expressionless, Bout was paraded before journalists at the news conference but refused to answer questions. "He is called the 'Merchant of Death' and 'Man of War' for a reason,'' Pasquerello said.Bout, who has never before been prosecuted for arms selling despite investigations in several countries, has always denied being involved in illicit deals.The criminal complaint in New York said confidential sources directed by the DEA posed as FARC members while negotiating from November to February to buy arms from Bout.Noting that lengthy investigation, a law enforcement official in Washington said there was no link between Bout's arrest and the weekend seizure by Colombian troops of a top FARC leader's laptop computer. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he wasn't authorized to release the information.In New York, U.S. Attorney Michael Garcia would not say how much the weapons involved in the alleged deal were worth but said the cost of transporting them alone was set at $5 million. He said the weapons were to be parachuted to FARC fighters in Colombian territory. The arrest "marks the end of the reign of one of the world's most wanted arms traffickers,'' Garcia said.Bout, a former Soviet air force officer, allegedly built his contacts in the post-Soviet arms industry into a business dealing arms to combatants in conflicts around the world. He is generally believed to have been a model for the arms dealer portrayed by Nicolas Cage in the 2005 movie "Lord of War.'' Bout's best-documented activities have been in Central and West Africa, where he has been accused of funneling weapons into various civil wars since the early 1990s. In 2000, Peter Hain, then Britain's Cabinet minister for African affairs, called Bout "the chief sanctions-buster'' flouting U.N. arms embargoes on the warring parties in Angola and Sierra Leone, dubbing the Russian "a merchant of death.'' Bout also reportedly supplied arms to warring parties in Afghanistan before the 2001 fall of the Taliban's Islamic regime.One of his companies also served as a subcontractor involved in transporting U.S. military personnel and private U.S. contractors in Iraq, according to a book about Bout by journalists Douglas Farah and Stephen Braun published last year.The book, "Merchant of Death: Money, Guns, Planes, and the Man Who Makes War Possible,'' also says a plane in Bout's fleet made several airdrops of weapons to FARC guerrillas between December 1998 and April 1999. It says the flights dropped about 10,000 weapons to the rebels, "enabling them to greatly enhance their military capabilities.''

Viktor Bou arrested U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration information

A Russian dubbed the "Merchant of Death'' for allegedly supplying weapons to Africa's bloody conflicts over power and diamo...

Police Captain Nat Chonnithiwanit and seven other members of the 41st Border Patrol Police

Police Captain Nat Chonnithiwanit and seven other members of the 41st Border Patrol Police (BPP) unit were arrested in Bangkok on January 25 for serious offenses committed over the past three years. The charges included criminal conspiracy, armed robbery, forced intrusion, threatening others with weapons, detaining others, and abducting minors under the age of 15. “The arrest of Police Captain Nat reveals shocking details of systematic police brutality, corruption and abuse of power in anti-drugs operations,” said Brad Adams, Asia director at Human Rights Watch. “This is not just a problem of a few rogue officers; there has been a chronic failure to ensure oversight and accountability for the police.” To date, 61 people have filed formal complaints with the Justice Ministry alleging that they or their family members were abducted and tortured by members of the BPP under Captain Nat to extract confessions for the possession and trafficking of methamphetamines. Victims alleged that they were electrocuted, suffocated with plastic bags, and severely beaten by BPP members. Many also claim they were forced to pay bribes in order to be released or to have lesser charges filed against them. Despite these complaints about serious human rights violations, Captain Nat had been highly praised for years by the Royal Thai Police as a role model. He had received large amounts of reward money for the arrests he made. In addition, Human Rights Watch is deeply concerned by the reported statements of Police General Seriphisut Temiyavej, national police commissioner-general, threatening to take legal action against anyone he claims is filing false complaints against police officers. General Seriphisut stated that he did not believe that the number of victims in this case could be as many as 50 or 60 people. “Thailand’s national police commissioner-general should be encouraging victims to come forward, not threatening them with legal action,” said Adams. “Seriphisut’s threats against victims of police abuse further fuel this vicious cycle of abuses and impunity,” said Adams. Police brutality and abuses have characterized government efforts to suppress drugs in Thailand in recent years. Human Rights Watch documented extrajudicial killings and other serious human rights violations in the context of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra’s notorious “war on drugs”. Despite the killing of more than 2,000 people, to date there have been no criminal prosecutions of the perpetrators, many of whom are believed to include police officers. Human Rights Watch said that the arrests of Captain Nat and his subordinates should act as a catalyst for the new government to establish independent and credible institutions that will be able to receive complaints, conduct investigations, and prosecute police officers for wrongdoing. The courts and other agencies, including the National Human Rights Commission, have thus far proven unable or unwilling to investigate and punish police misconduct. In August 2007, the military-installed government of General Surayud Chulanont appointed a special committee chaired by former Attorney General Khanit na Nakhon to investigate the extrajudicial killings that took place in 2003 as part of Thaksin’s “war on drugs,” but no action has ensued. After five months of inquiries, the committee only gave to the government statistical details about the number and nature of the murders. Its report – which has never been made public – said 2,819 people were killed in 2,559 murder cases between February and April in 2003. Of those killed, 1,370 were related to drug dealing, while 878 of them were not. Another 571 people were killed without apparent reason. Despite many promises to bring those responsible for the murders to justice, this committee has been unable to subject anyone to criminal liability. Thailand continues to face a boom in the use and trafficking of methamphetamines. For that reason, harsh measures against traffickers are politically popular. During the recent election campaign, the new Interior Minister Chalerm Yubumroong (who himself is a former police officer) and other leaders of the People Power Party (who publicly admitted that they were Thaksin’s nominees) vowed to launch a new war on drugs. “Thaksin’s war on drugs was one of the most brutal and darkest periods for human rights in Thailand’s recent history,” said Adams. “It is chilling to think that the new government may go down this road again. Instead, this military-installed government should show its commitment to justice by prosecuting Captain Nat and conducting serious investigations into the 2003 war on drugs.”

Police Captain Nat Chonnithiwanit and seven other members of the 41st Border Patrol Police

Police Captain Nat Chonnithiwanit and seven other members of the 41st Border Patrol Police (BPP) unit were arrested in Bangkok on January 25...

John Leo Del Pinto,Carly Reisig,A Thai policeman shot dead a Canadian tourist .

A Thai policeman shot dead a Canadian tourist and wounded his pregnant ex-wife during a scuffle outside a bar, authorities said today. John Leo Del Pinto, 25, died after being shot in the face and torso while Carly Reisig, also from Canada, was taken to hospital with a bullet wound. Colonel Sombat Panya, of Pai district police in northern Mae Hong Son, said the officer involved claimed the shooting was an accident. But he revealed Sergeant Uthai Dechawiwat had since been charged with premeditated murder and released on bail. Del Pinto and Reisig, who rented a home in the town of Mae Hong Son, were drinking at a bar in Pai on Saturday night. Witness described how the pair began arguing after Del Pinto learned that Reisig had become pregnant with a Thai man, Sombat said. Outside the bar the argument turned physical, and when Uthai tried to intervene the couple attacked him, officials said. The police officer told investigators that Del Pinto had tried to grab his pistol and the gun "accidentally went off" three times. "The policeman, who is about 1.6m tall, was beaten to the ground by the man, a bodybuilder, and the hippy woman," said the local police chief, Wanchai Suwanririkate. Del Pinto, a frequent visitor to Pai, died at the scene, while Reisig was rushed to hospital in the nearby province of Chiang Mai. One of the bullets grazed her upper left torso but her foetus was unharmed, Sombat said. Uthai was charged with premeditated murder for Del Pinto's death, and with "intent to kill" in connection with Reisig, Sombat added. A spokesman for the Canadian embassy in Bangkok was not available for comment. It is not known where in Canada the couple were from

John Leo Del Pinto,Carly Reisig,A Thai policeman shot dead a Canadian tourist .

A Thai policeman shot dead a Canadian tourist and wounded his pregnant ex-wife during a scuffle outside a bar, authorities said today. John ...

Jachike, Mayabma, foreign drug gangs are currently active in Thailand

<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1hRrxtGfa8RNvuIKAEXqzw8Y7E8gBf7nPgTCgj27BVA7XIaq3TTiDrMpc0Vo_DuPXuyBw5cBZQrRvFwXFGatYkkqLTqUoCIZutvwt5Yz61z76qzWNMFHThvWg5fNCJjr64rfVdz64n9w/s1600-h/231207_pers16.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5147707314842297522" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1hRrxtGfa8RNvuIKAEXqzw8Y7E8gBf7nPgTCgj27BVA7XIaq3TTiDrMpc0Vo_DuPXuyBw5cBZQrRvFwXFGatYkkqLTqUoCIZutvwt5Yz61z76qzWNMFHThvWg5fNCJjr64rfVdz64n9w/s320/231207_pers16.jpg" style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" /></a> West Africans, selling marijuana in Bangkok is a profitable business. One kilogramme bought for 10,000 baht in Nong Khai can be divided into small quantities and sold for up to 200 baht per gramme, depending on the perceived wealth of the customer. The raid on November 30 was under the overall command of the NSB Commissioner, Pol Lt-Gen Wut Liptapallop and his deputy, Pol Maj-Gen Aditep Panjamanond. Pol Maj-Gen Amaresrit, who assigned Pol Col Ittipol Kitsuwan from Division 1 to put everything together, was in charge of planning, execution and coordination of the operations with other agencies, such as the Office of the Narcotics Control Board and the Food and Drug and Administration. The operation was observed by officers from the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). They have been working with the Thai anti-narcotics agencies for decades and have collaborated in many large seizures and arrests of important drug traffickers. According to Pol Maj-Gen Amaresrit, a number of a foreign drug gangs are currently active in Thailand, but the syndicates from West African nations are the most troublesome. They are the most lethal and dangerous, because they are selling drugs locally. Amaresrit noted. He added: "Several West African gangs are active now in Thailand and we are going after them. They smuggle drugs, especially heroin, from Thailand to other countries and import cocaine and other drugs to Thailand. Many live here illegally, without a passport, or possess a counterfeit or altered one. Some have overstayed their visas." Jachike was found to be in possession of a South African passport with his photo in it, but he told the police during a later interrogation that he is a Nigerian national. A Lesotho passport with a photo of another person was also found in his room. Another suspect who gave his name as Mayabma produced no passport and didn't give his nationality. There are several hundreds West Africans in Thai jails now. "The heads of the syndicates are very clever," he continued. "They don't live in the areas where the gangs operate, but in suburbs like Phrakanong or Prawet where we have less control over them. Their people stay around Sukhumvit and sell drugs to the locals. More often than not but they are addicted themselves, usually to cocaine," Amaresrit said.

Jachike, Mayabma, foreign drug gangs are currently active in Thailand

West Africans, selling marijuana in Bangkok is a profitable business. One kilogramme bought for 10,000 baht in Nong Khai can be divided into...