Phuket Governor Chamroen Tipayapongtada and Vice Governor Chokdee Armornwat were among the host of officials present when police presented the suspects – Thee Ha Soe and his wife, named only as “Moe” – to the press at Muang District Office at 11:30am.
The pair were nabbed with 252.12 grams of crystal meth valued at B886,000 by a team of drug enforcement officers from Muang District Office. Officials also seized B8,600 cash from them.
The arrests came after Chanchai Tontawachirapan, a village headman in Rassada, notified Muang District Chief Supoj Chanakit that he had received a tip-off that the couple were selling drugs near the entrance to Soi Paechaitaweekit.
The couple were staying in a rented room in the street.
Officers were tasked with monitoring the couple and their activities, including following them from the fishing pier to their rented room.
“Officers then approached the suspects and identified themselves to the suspects before searching them and the room,” Gov Chamroen told the press.
“Officers found a bag containing 17.18g of ya ice in a box, another bag containing 32.88g of ya ice in a pocket of a pair of trousers hanging outside, and two bags containing a total of 202.06g of ya ice inside a mobile phone box,” he added.
“The couple confessed that that all the items belonged to them, that they got the crystal meth from a Myanmar ‘agent’ (sic) and that they sold it Myanmar migrant workers at the fishing port,” Gov Chamroen said.
Thee Ha Soe and Moe were taken to Phuket City Police, where they were to be charged with illegal possession of Category 1 drug with intent to sale.