HUAY YAI, CHONBURI, THAILAND – August 28, 2025 – In a dramatic anti-drug operation, Banglamung District officials have apprehended a notorious drug dealer known as “Huay Yai Elephant” after a tense confrontation that saw the suspect attempt to destroy evidence by swallowing narcotics. The arrest took place at 7:26 PM on Wednesday, August 27, 2025, following a meticulously planned sting operation led by District Chief Pacharaphat Sridhanyanon.
The operation targeted 47-year-old Ittisak Inthasingh, alias “Chiang Huay Yai,” a disabled drug trafficker with a prosthetic leg, who operated from a single-story shack on Soi 36 on Huay Yai Municipal Road in the Huay Yai Subdistrict. Acting on a tip from a previously arrested drug user, Deputy District Chief Khamprai Laosaen, an officer with the Office of the Narcotics Control Board (ONCB), coordinated with local administrative officials and volunteer defense corps (OrSor) to set up a sting. The team aimed to purchase 50 grams of crystal methamphetamine (“ice”) from Chiang, a key supplier distributing drugs to local small-scale buyers.
The plan unfolded as scheduled, with undercover agents meeting Chiang to complete the transaction. However, as officials moved in to make the arrest, Chiang quickly locked his door and fled to the bathroom. In a desperate bid to evade justice, he attempted to flush ecstasy pills down the toilet and into a sink. Cornered and with no escape, he resorted to swallowing an undisclosed quantity of ecstasy and ice to destroy the evidence.
Authorities swiftly forced entry, securing the scene and providing aid. Inside, they discovered hundreds of ecstasy pills scattered in the sink, four plastic bags of the drug on the bathroom floor, and additional ice packaged in zip-lock bags within the residence. A total of 32.47 grams of ice and 920 ecstasy pills were seized as evidence.
Chiang, who collapsed into unconsciousness after ingesting the drugs, was rushed to a hospital for emergency treatment. Medical staff reported that his condition remains critical but stable, with close monitoring underway. Officers are maintaining a 24-hour watch at the hospital, awaiting his stabilization before transferring him and the confiscated drugs to Huay Yai Police Station for legal proceedings.
District Chief Pacharaphat discussed the operation’s success in dismantling a major drug network, stating, “This arrest sends a strong message that we will not tolerate illegal drug activities in our community.” Chiang faces charges under Thailand’s Narcotics Control Act, with penalties that could include lengthy imprisonment if he recovers to stand trial.
The case has drawn attention to the challenges of combating drug trafficking in suburban areas, where dealers like Chiang exploit local vulnerabilities. Authorities plan to investigate further to identify his suppliers and network. Updates on Chiang’s condition and the investigation will be released as they develop.
