KOTA BARU: A Malaysian man was arrested on suspicion of trafficking various types of drugs with an estimated street value of RM120,000 during a raid in Sungai Golok (known as Kolok in Thailand), located in the southern Thai province of Narathiwat, on Dec 30, 2024.
Sungai Kolok district police chief Colonel Jadsadavit Ingprapan said the 24-year-old suspect is believed to be linked to an international drug smuggling syndicate.During the raid, authorities seized 1,943 MDMA pills (also known as Ecstasy), 1,510 nimetazepam pills (marketed as Erimin), along with several other types of narcotics found at the premises.
“The suspect will be brought before the Narathiwat Regional Court for temporary detention and his urine sample has been collected for screening at the Sungai Kolok Hospital,” he said.
“Police are currently investigating the origins of the drugs and examining the suspect’s background to check if he has any prior drug-related offences in Thailand,” he added when contacted yesterday.
Jadsadavit said the raid was regarded as one of the largest drug seizures by Thai authorities, following a major bust in early November last year, in which 6,000 Yaba (a combination of methamphetamine and caffeine) pills were confiscated in an incident involving six Malaysians, including a female singer.
“We will continue to intensify efforts to control and dismantle drug smuggling syndicates operating along this border.
“This seizure underscores the commitment of Thai authorities to combat drug trafficking and ensure security along the border,” he told Bernama.
Meanwhile, Bukit Aman Narcotics Criminal Investigation Department director Datuk Seri Khaw Kok Chin said the Royal Malaysia Police’s Narcotics Nucleus Secretariat is working with Thai authorities to gather more information regarding the arrest, including investigating the possibility that the drugs were intended for the domestic market.
“The man was arrested at a hotel in Sungai Golok for drug possession,” he told Bernama yesterday, adding that investigations revealed the suspect was believed to have been actively involved in selling drugs in the area.
