The task force, comprising members of the Phuket Provincial Narcotics Control Management Center (PNCMC) led by Deputy Chief Urupong Chanakul and Assistant Thongchai Rattanadet, also included Territorial Defense Volunteers (OrSor, or Kong Asa Raksa Dindaen – see here).
No police officers were present for the raid.
The team arrested the two Myanmar men – named only as “So”, 25, and “Min Hliang”, 22 – at the car park behind Wat Thepkrasattri at about 4:35pm, reported the PNCMC.
The men were taken into custody after kratom was found under the seat of a motorbike belonging to one of the men.
A third Myanmar man, named only as “Mr Thong”, fled when the team members moved in, said the PNCMC report.
It was not reported how the anti-narcotics team came to know of the two men’s whereabouts or their possession of kratom.
An ensuing search of the men’s rented accommodation on the beachfront road in Kamala discovered 420.63 grams of ya ice, 59kg of kratom leaves divided into packages along with a digital weighing device, two manual scales and one motorbike – all of which were seized as evidence, noted the report.
So and Min were taken to Thalang Police Station and charged with possession of a Category 5 drug with intent to sell, Category 5 drug with intent to distribute, and possession of a Category 1 drug with intent to sell, the PNCMC report said.