SONGKHLA - A 25-year-old heavily tattooed veteran drug trafficker from Bangkok was arrested and 11 kilogrammes of crystal methamphetamine worth about 11 million baht seized in Hat Yai district on Monday night.
Police said Niwat Dokmai was arrested in possession of the drug, known as "ice", at a rented room on Ratana Uthit Road in Hat Yai municipality while waiting to make a delivery.
The suspect was also known as Toon Dokmai and was well-known among drug traffickers for the tattoos covering his whole body, even his lips, police said. He was out on bail pending trial on a previous drug arrest.
Police said he told them the crystal meth belonged to a major trafficker called Jeh, who would tell him and his accomplices where to leave packages of the drug for his customers.
Mr Niwat said he and two members of his gang flew from Bangkok to Hat Yai and picked up 15kg of "ice" that another trafficker had placed in front of Wat Hat Yai Sitaram in tambon Khuan Lang on June 12.
He identified his two accomplices as Tantorn Yutthapan, 23, and Apichart Thumarin, 25.
Jeh later told them to place 4kg of the drug at the same location, and another trafficker arrived in a Malaysian-registered vehicle to collect it. He then returned to his rented room and was waiting for more orders for the rest of the drugs.
Mr Niwat said that they were each to be paid 60,000 baht for the job. His two alleged accomplices were still at large, police said.
Police said Mr Niwat had been arrested 10 times before and had also told them he had previously handled a 60kg delivery of crystal meth to Hat Yai.
Mr Niwat said Jeh told them on that occasion to pick up the 60kg of "ice" at the 28 kilometre marker on the Sanam Bin Road in tambon Khuan Lang in April and later place it in front of the same temple. A couple then arrived on a Toyota Alphard van to get the drug. He and his two accomplices were each paid 30,000 baht.
Police allege the gang had also delivered drugs to other traffickers in Songkhla, three other southern border provinces, and Malaysia.