Thai authorities arrest two Malaysians, seize 200kg syabu

Thai authorities seized 200kg of the party drug 'ice', also known as syabu, estimated to be worth about 400 million Baht (RM50 million) in Sadao, Songkla and arrested two Malaysian men in the midst of smuggling the drug into Malaysia.

The suspects aged 49 and 35 were picked up yesterday after the authorities received information on a drug smuggling attempt into the neighbouring country.

"The authorities found the seven sacks containing 'ice' in a car driven by a Malaysia man as he was about to transfer the drug to another car belonging to the other Malaysian," said Crime Suppression Division (CSD) deputy chief, Col Jeerapop Puridetch here today.

Both cars, a white and a black Honda Accord belonging to the Malaysians were registered in the Kuala Lumpur Federal Territory and Penang.

According to Jeerapop, the authorities launched an operation to nab the two Malaysians after receiving a tip-off that both suspects had rented an apartment in Sadao and planned to smuggle drugs into Malaysia.

Meanwhile in a separate case, Thai drug enforcement authorities are on a lookout for a Malaysian man following the seizure of 44.84kg of high grade heroin worth about 89.68 million Baht (RM11.2 million) in Hatyai last Sunday.

Three Thai men were also arrested in the same sting operation, a high ranking source told Bernama.

According to him, the Thai men were supposed to hand over the drug to the Malaysian man on the day they were apprehended.

"We have relayed all information on the man to the Malaysian authorities for follow-up operations," he told Bernama here. The man is believed to have slipped back to Malaysia to evade arrest by the Thai authorities.

The heroin which was packed in 118 slabs, he said, originated from a Myanmar border town, Tachileik which was located near the northern Thai province of Chiang Mai and transported to Hatyai by the three local Thais.

The three Thais were arrested in the car park of a restaurant near the Hatyai International Airport about 1pm local time last Sunday.

"About 50 of the heroin slabs were hidden inside the spare tyre of the truck and another 57 slabs were found inside the speaker compartment while the rest of the drug was found in several parts of the truck," said the source.

-- BERNAMA