ONCB has arrested a Singaporean drug gang who fled arrest warrants and entered Thailand to live a luxurious life. This is linked to the case of using Thailand as a transit point for drugs to Singapore and Australia. They are preparing to send them back to Singapore for prosecution, which could result in a severe penalty of death.
Pol. Lt. Gen. Panurat Lakboon, Secretary-General of the Narcotics Control Board (ONCB), along with Pol. Col. Ratchote Chotikun, Deputy Commander of Investigation, Immigration Bureau, and Mr. Prin Mekhanan, Director of the Narcotics Suppression Bureau, ONCB, announced the arrest of Mr. BENNY KEE SOON CHUAN, a Singaporean international drug trafficker. The ONCB received information from the Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) that Mr. BENNY KEE SOON CHUAN, a major international drug trafficker in Singapore, had fled the arrest warrant of the Singapore State Court and was residing in Thailand. The suspect played a role in ordering drug trafficking, using Thailand as a transit point for smu
ggling drugs via international parcels, mostly crystal meth, ketamine, and ecstasy, to Singapore and Australia.
From tracking, it was found that the said person had fled to live in a house in Bang Kaew Subdistrict, Bang Phli District, Samut Prakan Province. He had no permanent occupation in Thailand and was unusually wealthy. Therefore, the Immigration Bureau was contacted to cancel the visa of Mr. BENNY KEE SOON CHUAN and CNB Singapore officers came to join the investigation and arrest, along with the suspect’s assets worth a total of more than 15 million baht.
For this suspect, he is a Singaporean but holds a Vanuatu passport to enter Thailand. The ONCB will deport him back to Singapore for legal proceedings by Singapore authorities. Under Singapore law, drug trafficking is punishable by death.
From the continuous investigation, it was also found that this suspect is linked to 2 other cases, namely, the case on March 26, 2021, the AITF task force seized a parcel concealing ice, ecstasy, and ketamine, pre
pared to be sent to Singapore. The sender of the parcel was a Singaporean named MR. TEO ZHI JIE. Later, on June 3, 2021, the officers expanded the investigation to arrest MR. TEO ZHI JIE. An investigation found that he was linked to MR. BENNY KEE SOON CHUAN and 3 others, believed to be involved in the drug trafficking network. And the case on November 10, 2021, the AITF task force seized a parcel concealing ice, prepared to be sent to Australia. The investigation expanded the investigation and found that the sender of the parcel was a Singaporean named MR. WEE PING ADRIAN PEH. Later, on March 2, 2022, the officers expanded the investigation to arrest MR. WEE PING ADRIAN PEH (a person in MR. BENNY KEE SOON CHUAN’s network) while he was traveling to contact immigration officers. Samut Prakan Province
Secretary of the ONCB confirms that Thailand has no source of drug production, but is used as a transit point to third countries by international drug trafficking networks, receiving drugs from the northern border
area, which has many sources of production, and major drug dealers often hide in China and Laos.
Source: Thai News Agency