The largest confirmed seizure saw officers from Phuket City Police arrest two suspected drug couriers and confiscate 20,000 methamphetamine pills at a rented house in Phuket Town on Saturday (June 27).
The arrests followed an investigation into a suspicious parcel left beside a road in Mueang Phuket District.
Investigators from Phuket City Police staked out the package until a man and woman arrived to collect it before following them to an unnumbered rented house in the Komarapat community in Talad Yai, Phuket Town ‒ ironically the same neighbourhood that is home to all the major police headquarters for the island.
A subsequent search of the house uncovered 20,000 ya bah pills concealed inside bags within the parcel and hidden in the suspects’ bedroom.
Arrested were ‘Kanjan’, 30, and ‘Mimi’, 25, both Thai nationals, police reported.
The pair have been charged with jointly possessing Category 1 narcotics with intent to sell for commercial distribution without permission.
During questioning, the suspects claimed they had merely been hired to collect the package and store it temporarily until someone else arrived to retrieve it.
Police said they did not believe the explanation given the quantity of drugs found in the room.
The suspects were handed over to investigators for legal action while officers continue expanding the investigation in an effort to identify and arrest those behind the trafficking network.
Despite the scale of the raid in Phuket Town, much of the official publicity on drug enforcement over the weekend focused on a separate raid in Rawai.
On Friday afternoon (June 26), Mueang Phuket District officials, Chalong Police and Rawai Municipality officers raided the sea gypsy community in Moo 2, Rawai.
The operation resulted in the arrest of three suspects and the seizure of 207 ya bah pills, 2.78 grammes of crystal meth (ya ice) and one .45-calibre bullet.
The suspects face charges relating to drug possession, drug trafficking, drug use and illegal possession of ammunition.
Chalong Police later confirmed the operation also formed part of a broader multi-agency security campaign targeting drugs, nominee businesses, illegal activities and tourist safety.
During the operation, officers also searched businesses suspected of operating through Thai nominees, inspected tourism operators including ATV rental businesses, elephant camps and a zipline attraction, and screened suspected drug users.
Police reported that four people tested positive for drug use and were referred for rehabilitation.