Police in Khon Kaen arrested a 31 year old man recently been released from prison just two months prior.
Caught selling methamphetamine to support his family, the drug dealer, Jay Ban Phai, claimed all his legal ventures ended in failure, leaving him with no choice but to resort to illegal activities. The police are moving forward with prosecution.
At around 5.30am yesterday, December 16, a coordinated operation led by Kraisorn Kongchalard, the provincial governor of Khon Kaen, took place in Ban Phai district.
Over 100 officers, including police, administrative officers, and representatives from various agencies, were involved in this crackdown under the operation codenamed Yuttakarn Pitak Khon Kaen 2023 and the third phase of Operation Hunt and Clip the Wings of Northern Isaan Drug Dealers.
The task force was divided into two teams, with the first team targeting a community in Ban Phai district, where they raided a house in the area.
During the operation, the officers successfully apprehended Jay and his partner, 36 year old Tharaluck, in possession of 11,969 methamphetamine pills, a paint bucket, two mobile phones, and a car. The evidence was seized, and the suspects were taken into custody.
Jay confessed during the interrogation that he had been previously convicted of drug-related offences and spent over three years in prison. Since his release in October, he had lived with Tharaluck, who has three children from a previous relationship.
In his role as a stepfather, he struggled financially, as all his business efforts resulted in losses. Consequently, he reconnected with a friend who had been released from prison at the same time and contacted a drug dealer to acquire methamphetamine for sale.
Drug dealer
The network provided him with 12,000 pills, which he then buried in a paint bucket in his mother-in-law’s backyard, where they remained until the police raid.
Kraisorn commented on the situation, explaining that Jay resorted to selling drugs again due to the financial pressure of supporting his three stepchildren, all of whom are still in school, and his second wife, who is four weeks pregnant. Jay had not yet found customers for the drugs, which led to him hiding them until his arrest.
“The province of Khon Kaen continues to fight against drug-related crimes with the full cooperation of all police. Despite numerous arrests, the problem persists, necessitating ongoing efforts to tackle the issue. The drug trade appears to operate with significant production capabilities, allowing drugs to be smuggled and sold without upfront payments.
“Many repeat offenders continue to use drugs, mistakenly believing they need them to function at work, which is a misconception, as drugs ultimately destroy human resources. All parties must collaborate in this fight against drugs as long as the law regards users as patients, the number of users will likely remain high.”
In a related operation, another team of officers conducted a raid in Nong Waeng Rai, Ban Phai, where they arrested 22 drug users. These individuals are now undergoing legal proceedings and will enter rehabilitation programmes as part of their treatment process, reported KhaoSod.
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