Drug mule arrested at Phuket Check Point

Tha Chatchai Police revealed details of the arrest yesterday (Feb 19).

Officers stopped and searched a blue Honda Civic car with Bangkok license plates being driven onto the island at about 10pm last Friday (Feb 17), explained Capt Thanom Thongpaen of the Tha Chatchai Police.

The driver, Thanaphat ‘Ball’ Plodkham, 36, from Phattalung, was acting suspiciously, Capt Thanom said.

A search found inside the car a Glock 30 semi-automatic handgun with its serial number removed as well as 18 .45-calibre bullets with two magazines for the handgun.

Officers also found an airsoft rifle with a 13-inch barrel and four 4.622-calibre bullets.

In a large box were 13,930 ya bah pills, with more pills found in two plastic bags bringing the total number of ya bah pills seized to 14,247.

Officers also found 134.85 grams of crystal meth (ya ice), 0.327g of ketamine and 0.552g of ecstasy.

In placing Thanaphat under arrest, officers also seized two mobile phones and drug-taking equipment, Capt Thanom said.

According to police, Thanaphat confessed that he was hired to drive his own car from his home province of Phattalung to Phuket, where he was to deliver the car to a location in Thalang District.

He picked up the drugs beside the main southern highway in Tambon Bang Sawan, in Phra Saeng District, Surat Thani Province, police said.

Thanaphat denied that he was involved in dealing drugs, and maintained that he was only delivering them to Phuket, Capt Thanom said.

Regardless, police have charged Thanaphat with a slew of charges, Capt Thanom confirmed.

Thanaphat faces charges of illegal possession of a Category 1 narcotic (methamphetamine) with intent to distribute, and illegal possession of a Category 1 narcotic (ecstasy) and illegal possession of a Category 2 narcotic (ketamine) for consumption.

He also faces charges of illegal possession of firearms and ammunition and carrying firearms in a public area without permission.

Thanaphat also faces a charge using a Category I drug (methamphetamine) and driving while under the influence of an addictive substance, Capt Thanom said.

Capt Thanom said that police were continuing their investigation into the drug network that supplied the drugs and noted that the origin of the Honda Civic car was also specifically under further investigation, as the Bangkok licence plates  on the Honda Civic car were found to be fake.