Details about five recent arrests were revealed to the press at 10pm on Saturday (August 20) by Pol Maj Littichai Chumchuai, a narcotics suppression officer with the Phuket Provincial Police, as follows:
At 4pm on Thursday (August 18), Vichit Police arrested Mr Wanchai Thepthong, 36, who was caught in possession of 0.66 grams of crystal meth, and subsequently charged with possession of a Category 1 drug (Ice).
At 3.30pm on Friday (August 19) Chalong police arrested Mr Phichit Muansakul, 30, caught with 130 grams of crystal meth, a .22 calibre rifle and 93 .22 calibre bullets. Police charged him with possession of a Category 1 drug (Ice) without permission, and possession of a gun and ammunition without permission.
At 4.30pm on the same day, Chalong police also booked two more small-time drug suspects: Mr Boonlert Sukprasit, 33, was caught with 5.5 kilograms of fresh kratom leaves, as well a homemade pistol along with two accompanying .357 calibre bullets. Mr Boonlert was charged with possession of a Category 5 drug (kratom) without permission, and possession of a gun and ammunition without permission.
Also thrown the book was Mr Sarawut Tubmood, 21, who was caught in possession of about 0.75 grams of marijuana, which he had mixed with an amount of dry tobacco, a mild mixture known in Thai slang as “Yum neua”, commonly consumed by smoking using a water bamboo bong.
Police also seized from Sarawut other items of paraphernalia, which as indicated by the police photo, included a bamboo bong, cutting board and knife.
Sarawut was charged with possession of a Category 5 drug (Ganja) without permission.
The last arrest revealed to press was of Mr Nattawat Dechakul, 25, who was nabbed by Chalong Police at 3.30pm on Saturday (August 20), after he was caught with five kilogrammes of fresh kratom leaves, 11.76 grams of dried marijuana and other undisclosed paraphernalia, before being charged with possession of two Category 5 drugs (kratom and ganja).
In Thailand, it is not uncommon for police to ramp up publicity efforts towards increased prosecution of small-time drug offenders in the months leading up to the end of a the central government's fiscal year, which concludes on September 30.