The Narcotics Control Board (ONCB) has announced the arrest yesterday of a suspect, believed to be a major drug trafficker linked to the seizure of 1.6 tonnes of crystal methamphetamine hidden in cotton bales imported from an African country.
The suspect was only identified as ‘Panjakitti’. He was arrested at his house in the Rama 3 area of Bangkok by anti-narcotics officers.
Property, worth about 23 million baht, including two cars, a condominium unit, a cannabis shop and several luxury brand name products, were confiscated.
Pruen Mekhanan, director of the narcotics suppression division of the ONCB, said that the raid yesterday was a follow-up to the January 17 seizure of the 1.6 tonnes of crystal meth. Five other suspects were also arrested.
He said that the cotton bales were destined for India, but were rerouted to Thailand as a transit point.
He also said that a search of documents in Panjakitti’s house found that three parcels of cannabis had been sent to the UK.
ONCB Secretary-General Pol Lt-Gen Phanurat Lukboon admitted that it is difficult to confiscate the money of drug trafficking gangs, because the money is mostly converted into cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin.
