Huge Heroin Bust Nets 104 Kilos in Rassada
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Volume 15 Issue 46 News Desk - Tel: 076-236555November 15 - 21, 2008 Daily news at www.phuketgazette.net 25 Baht The Gazette is published in association with Huge heroin bust nets INSIDE 104 kilos in Rassada RASSADA (Kom Chad Luek): bers: Thais Sarayuth Ketsari- Police arrested a Thai man and niras, Sathit Paiboon-Issarakul, a Taiwanese national in posses- Manas Chaidee, Sumit Thana- sion of 104 kilos of heroin at a piromkul and Taiwanese national house in the Phuket City Home Chern Wan Ke. residential estate on the afternoon A warrant for the arrest of November 9, deputy national po- another Taiwanese, An Lung, al- lice chief Priewphan Damapong leged to be the leader of the announced at a press conference smuggling ring, has also been re- in Bangkok the following day. quested. Speaking at the Royal Thai The two suspects had hid- Police Drug Suppression Division den the drugs in a double-lined headquarters on Viphawadee- concrete structure beneath the Rangsit Rd, Gen Priewpan iden- home’s concrete kitchen floor. Looking Back tified the two suspects as 29- The high-tech hiding place in- Read about King Chulalon- year-old Pongthat Pong- cluded a hydraulic lift device that korn's nine-month European thirasakul, a resident of Chalong would mechanically lift the stash tour aboard Royal Steamer Village 1, and his Taiwanese ac- Thai police and DEA agent Andre Kellum show the 261 bricks of from its hiding place at the push Maha-Chakri. See page 29. complice Kuo Tak Tsai, 42. heroin confiscated from the Southern Dragon gang at a home in of a button. Armed with a search war- Rassada on November 9. Photo by Supachai Petchtewee. The gang used the home to News: Phuket to export rant, police arrested the pair store bricks of heroin until they snakehead fish; Patong without incident and seized 261 known as the “Southern Drag- Chief Lt Gen Wutti Liptapanlop could be concealed inside gas cyl- carnival update; Brit ar- bricks of the drug on Sunday from ons”, led by Taiwanese national said the three-month investigation inders. These were then placed rested on drug charges. house number 74/267 in the Lan An Lung, would bring heroin into the gang’s activities included on small fishing boats that made Phuket City Home housing es- from the Golden Triangle through assistance from Police Region 5, their way out to sea. Pages 2 & 3 tate in Tambon Rassada. Thailand for distribution to Tai- the Third Area Naval Command, These, in turn, were met by Inside Story: Software Also seized as evidence in wan, Hong Kong, China and the DEA, federal authorities in larger vessels that would trans- update. The latest on the the case were three suitcases other countries in the region. Taiwan, and the Phuket Provin- port the contraband to ports new software park. used to carry the drugs, three The gang was the largest cial Police. abroad. mobile phones and 25 keys. known Taiwanese heroin smug- Representing the DEA at The bust came in the sec- Pages 4 & 5 The arrest followed a tip- gling ring operating in the Far the press conference was one of ond week of the government’s lat- Lifestyle: Take a look at off early in August by the US East, the DEA agents told their its officers, Andre W. Kellum. est “war on drugs,” a 90-day the Phuket faces at the Drug Enforcement Administra- Thai counterparts. Lt Gen Wutti said arrest crackdown that authorities say new Mom Tri's Oasis. tion (DEA) to Thai police that Royal Thai Police Narcot- warrants have already been is- will run through the end of Janu- members of a drug-dealing gang ics Suppression Bureau Police sued for five more gang mem- ary 2009. Pages 16 & 17 AROUND THE SOUTH 6; AROUND THE NATION 7; Emergency helicopter service launched AROUND THE REGION 8; PHUKET: Bangkok Hospital bolster the government’s ongo- come cheap. It costs 2,000 baht AROUND THE ISLAND 10; Phuket has introduced a new ing initiative to make Phuket a per minute, which works out to RARE VINTAGE 11; PHUKET emergency Sky ICU and Flying medical hub. 120,000 baht for a one-hour PEOPLE 12 & 13; HAPPEN- Limousine service, dubbed Heli- The single-blade Euro- flight. INGS 14; HOROSCOPES 15; copter EC145 will be kept at the The lofty price tag is partly MOTORING 18; WHAT’S ON copter Emergency Medical Ser- Phuket Police Aviation Helibase due to the chopper itself, which 19; MONEY TALKS, ON T HE vices or HEMS. MOVE 20; TAKE A BREAK Hospital Director Dr Kong- in Phuket City, and will be on cost around 240 million baht. 23 & 24; OFF THE SHELF, kiat Kespecharaof stated that standby 24-hours a day. The new helicopter, which EDITORIAL & LETTERS 26; Bangkok Hospital Phuket’s prompt The service will extend to seats up to eight people, will also FIRST PERSON 27; TALKING and extensive helicopter service places such as Koh Phi Phi, Koh be available for charter through- PLANES 28; PROPERTY 33-38 over the Andaman coast will serve Lanta, Khaolak and Koh Racha. out the region for ‘high-end’ fam- to reinforce tourist confidence and Such a service does not ily groups. 2 PHUKET GAZETTE NEWS November 15 - 21, 2008 British man arrested on multiple drug charges KATHU: The government’s 90- Tung Tong Police drug suppres- paraphernalia. day “war on drugs” that started sion unit raided a room on Soi After her arrest, Mrs Tan- on November 3 claimed its first Pailin, off Nanai Rd in Patong. chanok identified her supplier as foreign casualty in Phuket in the Acting on a tip-off from in- Mr Neville. early morning hours of Novem- formants, they arrested six Thai She placed a call to him, Phuket Islamic Council chairman Bamroong Samphaorat (with ber 8, when a middle-aged Brit- people caught smoking ya Ice in asking for more narcotics and po- goatee) and Phuket Governor Preecha Ruangjan (right) hand out gifts ish man was caught in possession the room. lice arrested Mr Neville when he to Muslim children as part of the Hajj farewell activities at the airport of Ice (crystal methamphet- The group identified their came to deliver 38.8 grams of Ice on the morning of November 9. amine) and other narcotics with supplier as a woman nicknamed and 10.6 grams of cocaine. intent to sell. “Saeng” and led police to her A subsequent search of Mr Kathu Police Superinten- room in the Tulip Apartments, Neville’s home on Chao Fah East Local Muslims begin sacred journey dent Col Grissak Songmoonnark also on Nanai Rd. Rd in Chalong uncovered larger MAI KHAO: Phuket Governor the Phuket Provincial Culture identified the suspect as UK na- In the room, police found stashes of Ice (200 grams) and Preecha Ruangjan and other top Office. The pilgrims will make tional Peter Neville, aged 45. 34-year-old Tanchanok “Saeng” cocaine (50.89 gram), along with officials attended a ceremony at their way on four consecutive Mr Neville was arrested at Holm and 32-year-old Somjit an undisclosed amount of hash- Phuket International Airport on flights, the first two by Thai Air- 2:45 am after he was caught de- Noophad, who was armed with ish. Sunday, November 9 to send off ways and the others by Iran Air. livering 38.8 grams of Ice and a Thai-style shot gun. They also Mr Neville faces multiple some 250 local Muslims leaving Gov Preecha earlier stopped 10.6 grams of cocaine to a Thai recovered two 12-gauge shell charges of illegal possession of to attend the annual Hajj pilgrim- by Mifada Hulmumeeneen Mosque woman in a sting operation. casings. narcotics with intent to sell. age to Saudi Arabia, local Thai- in Tambon Pa Khlock, where he The sequence of events Police recovered from the “Peter is not a big drug traf- language news sources have re- met with the local imam and elected that led to Mr Neville’s arrest room, without incident, 6.06 ficker. The police will continue to ported. officials. began at 8:10 pm the day before, grams of Ice, 3 ya bah (meth- investigate this network and make Also attending the farewell Such visits are a good way to when a combined Kathu and amphetamine) pills, and drug more arrests,” Col Grissak said. were Phuket Senator Thanyarat get to know the local people and un- Atchariyachai, Phuket Provincial derstand their problems, said Gov Administration Organization Preecha, adding that he was still (OrBorJor) President Paiboon learning his way around the island. Night of revelry turns to Upatising, Phuket Islamic Council Gov Preecha said he intends chairman Bamroong Samphaorat, to visit mosques, temples and and other community representa- churches across the island to bet- tives and officials. ter familiarize himself with Phuket. tragedy for young Brits Phuket Culture Office chief The Governor started his Thaweechart Intarrarit said the Sunday at 6 am with a one-hour 250 pilgrims who left for Mecca radio broadcast. Then, after the yesterday were the first of more morning event at the airport, he at- Tourist dies in mystery fall than 1,000 Muslims from Phuket, tended the finals of the Phuket PATONG: A young English Rat-U-Thit 200 Pee Road at ap- no reports that anybody was Phang Nga, Krabi and Ranong Open Volleyball in Karon. tourist mysteriously fell from a proximately 2 am. chasing him at the time. who will make the pilgrimage He finished up his day in building in Patong in the early He was rushed to Patong He climbed into the der- departing from Phuket Airport.