Police have arrested nine suspects and seized drugs worth about 71 million baht - marijuana, methamphetamine pills, crystal meth and cocaine - in five recent busts.
National police chief Chakthip Chaijinda briefed the media on the operations on Wednesday at the Narcotic Suppression Bureau in Bangkok.
Police also put on show the seized 700 kilogrammes of marijuana, 2.78kg or cocaine, 306,000 methamphetamine pills and 2kg of crystal meth.
Pol Gen Chaktip said Anontachai Ornvanna, 38, from Kanchanaburi province, Sakda Hirunkeur, 37, from Chanthaburi and Sangwan Neukchaibhum, 35, were arrested for possession of 600kg of brick marijuana. A White Honda Civic and a grey Toyota Camry were impounded at a PTT petrol station in Muang district of Kalasin province where the arrests were made.
Pol Gen Chakthip said the marijuana was being taken from Nakhon Phanom on the Laos border to provinces in the Central Plain, including Bangkok.
On Monday, police arrested Samorn Kunthum, 43 from Ubon Ratchathani, and seized 100kg of marijuana found in his white Mitsubishi Triton pickup truck at the Thanyaburi toll plaza in Lam Luk Ka district of Pathum Thani. He was believed to be taking it from Nakhon Phanom to Chon Buri.
On Tuesday, Faith Igaiza Kidake 24, from Kenya, was arrested at Suvarnabhumi airport after 2.78kg of cocaine was found in her backpack.
Ms Faith had arrived on a flight from Ethiopia, Pol Gen Chakthip said.
Pichet Eungcharoen, 26, from Nakhon Pathom, Pailin Intrasawasdi, 35, from Kanchanaburi, Chachawan Jaengarun, 41, from Surat Thani, and Umpapin Somkling, 38, from Surat Thani, were arrested in Chumphon province after 106,000 speed pills and 2kg of crystal meth, aka "ice", were found in their car.
In the fifth case, police seized a bag containing 200,000 meth pills left in Moo 4 village in tambon Mae Yao of Chiang Rai's Muang district on Saturday night. Police believed the drug was dropped for traffickers from Ratchaburi to collect.
Polioce put the total value of the seized drugs at 71.39 million baht.
