M'sian drug lord on Thai police radar over seizure of RM33m in methampetamine pills

BANGKOK: A mystery Malaysian drug lord is on the Thai police radar after they intercepted two large consignments of methamphetamine pills worth about RM33 million, meant to have been smuggled into Malaysia this month.
It is learnt the man was waiting to receive the consignments totalling 858,000 'Yaba' (a type of methamphetamine) pills when southern Thai authorites seized one of the drug consignments on Jan 16 in Pattani, and the other in Songkla, five days later.
A highly-placed source in the country's Narcotics Suppression Bureau (NSB) told Bernama the two seizures were inter-related as the buyer for both drug consignments was a Malaysian.
"The buyer has been identified as a Malaysian man. We obtained this information after the police conducted further investigations on the matter.
"We believe these two cases (Pattani and Songkla drug seizures) were masterminded by the same syndicate with international links.
“The information which pinpointed to a Malaysian role as the mastermind behind the two drug seizures in southern Thailand recently, has been relayed to the Malaysian police for further action,” he told Bernama in an interview here recently.
The first seizure was carried out in Nongchik district, Pattani province on Jan 16 when authorities intercepted a pick-up truck and discovered 210,000 ‘Yaba’ pills hidden inside the vehicle.
‘Yaba’ in Thai means ‘Mad Drug’.
On Jan 21, the source said, NSB officers intercepted a trailer lorry in Rattaphumi district, Songkla province where they found 648,000 ‘Yaba’ pills as among the consignment it ferried.
Based on the current street value of approximately 300 Baht (about RM38) per methamphetamine pill, the source estimated the seizures of 858,000 pills of ‘Yaba’ and ‘Speed’-type in the two cases could be worth up to 255 million Baht or about RM33 million.
"The value of the methaphetamine pills seized (in Pattani and Songkla) could be double or triple the price if it reaches Malaysia, because the price there (Malaysia) is higher.
“The street price of the drugs could balloon if it is sold in Australia, Japan, Taiwan, Europe or other countries, thus promising a hefty profit for foreign-based drug syndicates,” noted the source. — Bernama