4 charged, 566 pills seized in ya bah busts

PHUKET CITY: Four people have been charged and more than 500 ya bah (methamphetamine) pills seized in two separate cases in Phuket City on Thursday.

Maj Wichan Suwannasit of the Phuket City Police told the Gazette that about 6:30 pm police arrested Thanat “Ped” Soithong with 10 ya bah pills at the home of 23-year-old Chamaiphon “Ann” Kanrit on Luang Por Chuon Rd Soi 5.

Police had earlier arrested Ann for possession and sale of a small amount of the drug at the nearby Jatujak Market.

Ann confessed to the charges, police said, saying she bought five to 10 pills at a time from Ped at 380 baht each and resold them at 500 baht each.

Police arrested Ped, a 30-year-old native of Bangkok, outside Ann’s home after she allegedly told police that she was waiting for him to come to her home to resupply her with 10 pills and collect payment.

Under questioning, Ped told police he had 550 more pills at his home on Phuket Rd, police said.

After being escorted there, he showed police where had stashed 550 more pills behind the frame of a wall mirror.

He bought the pills from a supplier in Bangkok in packs of 200, paying 3,000 baht per pack, police said.

Ped had flown to Bangkok four times to pick up two or three packs at a time before he was arrested, Maj Wichan said.

Both Ann and Ped were denied bail and are now being held at Phuket Provincial Prison.

Also being held at the prison are two Thalang men who were arrested after selling six ya bah pills to undercover police about 11:30 pm near the Laem Hin turnoff on Thepkrasattri in Koh Kaew.

Following a tip-off, police arranged to buy six pills for a total of 3,000 baht.

Police identified the men as Kathawut “Boy” Wimutisuk and Apichat “Cha” Channam, both 22.

One motorbike and one mobile phone were seized.