Bangkok: Four Vietnamese individuals were apprehended in a joint operation by the Office of the Narcotics Control Board (ONCB) and Vietnamese authorities, leading to the seizure of ketamine, ecstasy, ecstasy powder, and a pill press. The operation highlights an ongoing effort to combat transnational drug trafficking networks.
According to Thai News Agency, the arrest was announced by Pol. Lt. Gen. Panurat Lakboon, Secretary-General of the ONCB, alongside Mr. Prin Mekhanan, Director of the ONCB, with representatives from the Customs Department, the Royal Thai Army, and Thailand Post Co., Ltd. The seized items included 5.2 kilograms of ketamine, 514 ecstasy tablets, ecstasy powder, and a single-punch automatic tablet press with various logos. The operation took place at a condominium in the Ramkhamhaeng area, followed by a raid at a rental house in the Lat Phrao area of Bangkok.
The Secretary-General noted that the operation stemmed from the 17th Thailand-Vietnam Bilateral Meeting on Cooperation in Narcotics
Prevention and Suppression in Hanoi, where information was exchanged regarding the suppression of transnational drug networks. It was revealed that Vietnamese traffickers are significant producers of ecstasy, with over 3 million pills seized last year among Vietnamese citizens. There is a trend of these traffickers moving operations into Thailand.
The investigation began on August 15, 2015, when 5,200 grams of ketamine were intercepted in an international parcel concealed among snack bags from the Netherlands. Surveillance led to the arrest of two Vietnamese men receiving the parcel at a condominium. Further searches at a rented house in Lat Phrao resulted in the discovery of additional suspects and the seizure of ecstasy-related materials. The suspects confessed to mixing ketamine with MDMA to create ecstasy powder, pressing tablets for distribution in entertainment venues, and smuggling some back to Vietnam.
The ONCB Secretary-General highlighted that these foreign networks use international parcels to sm
uggle drugs into Thailand. The drugs are concealed in merchandise shipped to condominiums where foreign recipients pick them up using passport identification. Thailand serves as a transit hub for these networks, necessitating close cooperation with international agencies for effective suppression.
During the press conference, tests confirmed the presence of ecstasy and ketamine in the seized drugs. A functioning pill press machine capable of producing up to 100,000 ecstasy-laced pills daily was also displayed.