At 10:00am, tourist police, led by Col Choosawat Janroj held a press conference to reveal the arrest of Akarapon Khonlak, 46, and Suparek Kaewnam, 38, and to show-off their find.
Along with the kratom, police also seized the Bangkok registered six wheeler Isuzu truck they were transporting the leaves in.
Police revealed that the arrests came after an undercover officer learnt that a furniture delivery truck travelling from Bangkok was carrying kratom leaves. The drivers were scheduled to drop off the furniture at a condominium before delivering the drugs.
Police had received a good description of the truck, thus tourist police waited and when they spotted the vehicle they requested the driver pull over.
When searching the vehicle police found the 45 kilos of kratom leaves packed inside eight black bin liners hidden amongst the furniture.
Following their arrest, Akarapon told police a man hired had them to deliver the kratom leaves to a drug dealer in Phuket. However, they advised police that it was someone else that was assigned to pick-up the drugs.
Both men said that this was the first time they hads attempted to deliver drugs and they did not know the person who hired them.
Police stated that Kratom leaves sell on the street for B10 per leaf or three bundles for B100, and that the 45 kilos would be worth no more than B100,000.
Both men face being charged with possession of a Category 5 drug.
Meanwhile, a man from Trang was also arrested with kratom leaves after picking up a package from a post office on Wednesday morning (March 11).
At 11:30am, Marine police, led by Maj Nattapong Purktharathikul arrested Chaiporn Jaisamut, 35, after he picked up a package of 3.5 kilos of kratom leaves at the Phuket Customs Post Office in Rassada.
Along with seizing the drugs, police also seized his motorbike.
The arrest of Chaiporn came after police learnt that a drug package, which had sent from other province, was scheduled to be picked up on Wednesday.
At 9am, police waited outside the post office for the person to pick-up the package. Then, at around 11:30am Chaiporn came out of the post office with the parcel and jumped on his motorbike ready to take off.
Police approached him, searched the parcel, and found the 3.5 kilos of kratom leaves inside.
Police also gave Chaiporn a drug test which came back positive.
Chaiporn was taken to Phuket City Police Station where he was charged with possession of category 5 drug without permission, and also Category 1 drug use.