Thai cops foil plan to smuggle drugs to Europe via Malaysia

Massive haul: Some of the 1.1 tonnes of ganja that were seized by Thai authorities from a lorry in Banmor, Saraburi. — Bernama

BANGKOK: In yet another crippling blow to international drug syndicates, Thai authorities intercepted a consignment of drugs bound for a European country by pre-empting a plan to use Malaysia as a transit point.

The drugs, comprising 1.2 million Yaba (Crazy) pills, made from a type of methamphetamine drug, and 1.1 tonnes of ganja, were seized from a small lorry about 3pm (local time) in the Banmor district, Saraburi province, on Saturday.

At the time of the seizure, the drugs were enroute to Hatyai in southern Thailand.

“We believe the drugs were meant to be smuggled from Hatyai to Malaysia before being sent to a third country.

“We have not ruled out that the drugs were targeted for a European country where their price could be three or four time higher,” a high ranking source said.

He said four men, aged between 42 and 54, were detained to assist investigations into an international drug network with European links.

According to him, the authorities stopped the lorry in Saraburi following intelligence information on an attempt by an international drug syndicate to smuggle drugs from north to southern Thailand.

The authorities, said the source, had also been tracking one of the four suspects since his release from jail in June last year.

“We received information the syndicate was trying to smuggle drugs from northeastern Thailand to Hatyai.

“So we moved in and made the arrests,” said the source. — Bernama