Alleged Laotian drug baron Xaysana Keopimpa who has a penchant for sports cars and links with some of Bangkok’s celebrities was today sentenced to life imprisonment by the Criminal Court after he was found guilty of smuggling more than three million meth pills from Laos into Thailand to be delivered to Malaysia through his drug network in southern Thailand.

Xaysana Keopimpa’s accomplice, Chumporn Panomprai, was also found guilty on similar charges and sentenced to life.  The third accomplice, Ratchaphol Ratthaponpakorn, was acquitted due to insufficient evidence.

Xaysana Kaopimpa and Chumporn were initially sentenced to death, but their sentence was communted to life imprisonment as the court felt that their testimonies were useful for the court’s trial.

Earlier on March 20, Xaysana was sentenced to life in connection with the smuggling of 1.2 million meth pills into the country for trafficking.

Despite the two convictions, the Lao drug lord will serve just one life imprisonment.