MALAYSIAN HELD IN THAILAND BELIEVED TO BE TRANSPORTER FOR CROSS-BORDER DRUG SYNDICATE

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 10 (Bernama) -- A Malaysian man, who was arresed by Thai authorities along with 75 kilogrammes (kg) of ketamine found in the car he was driving on Thursday (Nov 6), is suspected of acting as a transporter for a cross-border drug syndicate.

Bukit Aman Narcotics Crime Investigation Department (NCID) director Datuk Hussein Omar Khan said they were informed of the 25-year-old man’s arrest by the Subdivision 3 of the Narcotics Suppression Bureau (NSB) of the Royal Thai Police through official NCID channels.

“The man was arrested at a roadblock in Chumphon province, where 75kg of ketamine was found in the car he was driving on Nov 6.

“Checks found that the man, who is from the northern region of the country, has four previous criminal records,” he said when contacted here today.

Thai media recently reported that a suspect was detained in an operation by the NSB, together with the Chumphon Provincial Police at a roadbloack in Hong Charoen Subdistrict, Tha Sae District, Chumphon Province in Southern Thailand.

During the roadblock, police stopped a back Nissan car with Malaysian registration plates to looked suspicious before an inspection using an X-ray machine revealed a hidden compartment at the back of the vehicle.

Further inspection uncovered vacuum-sealed plastic packages containing 75kg of ketamine, valued at an estimated 70 million baht (about RM9 million), hidden neatly in the secret compartment.

The suspect allegedly admitted to being hired by an unknown individual to drive the car from Bangkok to Malaysia for a payment of RM5,000, but claimed he did not know the vehicle contained illegal substances.

The suspect was arrested for possessing and selling Category 2 psychotropic substances (ketamine) without permission for commercial purposes, which could spread the substance among the public.

-- BERNAMA