Chonburi —
A team of undercover police officers from the Banglamung Police Station arrested a 28-year-old Thai man in Chonburi province on drug charges.
The arrest took place at a luxury condo in the Sri Racha district of Chonburi on the night of June 8th. The suspect, publicly identified by police as Mr. Apinop Srihiran, also known as “Ohm,” was arrested as he was entering his condo unit.
According to the police, Mr. Apinop was caught after driving around in a sedan, allegedly delivering drugs to his network of small-scale dealers who then distributed the drugs to teenagers in the area.
Upon searching his body, police found a small amount of methamphetamine and ecstasy pills hidden in his black backpack. He reportedly confessed to having more drugs, and the police proceeded to search his condominium room where they discovered 1,200 ecstasy pills and 750 grams of methamphetamine packed in small zip-lock bags.
Officers also found digital scales, drug paraphernalia, and a notebook containing a list of customers inside a shoe box.
According to Pol Lt Thongthawat Phonlakorn, head of the arrest team, this operation was part of a broader effort to crack down on drug trafficking and illegal activities in accordance with the Thai government and national police policies.
After gathering more information, police identified Mr. Apinop as a major drug dealer in Sri Racha. An undercover officer then contacted him via Facebook to arrange a purchase of methamphetamine for 3,000 baht.
Mr. Apinop insisted on communicating only through Facebook and refused to meet with the buyer in person. He instead told the buyer to wait at an agreed location where he would toss the drugs from his white sedan.
After hours of surveillance, Mr. Apinop was finally spotted arriving at the location and tossed a package containing the methamphetamine. Police then secretly followed him to his condominium and arrested him with the drugs.
During interrogation, Mr. Apinop reportedly confessed to being a major drug dealer with a network spanning across Chonburi province. He revealed that he had multiple small-scale dealers who helped him sell the drugs to teenagers.
The suspect was charged with distribution of narcotic drugs. He was detained and sent to the investigating officer for further proceedings. Police are currently expanding their investigation to identify and apprehend other members of Mr. Apinop’s drug network.
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