Four teenagers arrested as undercover cops bust ketamine network that sold to partygoers
Four teenagers were arrested as undercover cops busted a drugs network selling ketamine to partygoers in Thailand.
The 18-year-old boys allegedly supplied narcotics to revellers at entertainment venues in northeastern province Khon Kaen.
Police arrested the youngsters in separate raids on July 22, following reports that customers were ordering drugs through a Facebook user 'Zhuge Liang', named after a Chinese military strategist.
Undercover agents arranged a sting after identifying the group's alleged delivery method.
They posed as buyers before one of the teens arrived on a motorcycle to hand over ketamine.
Police arrested the alleged drug runner and seized 90.4 grammes of ketamine and an Oppo Reno4 phone. He allegedly admitted collecting the drugs from another suspect and led investigators to a rented house where the stash was stored.
Officers then raided the property, where they found two more boys 'standing suspiciously' outside the home.
The pair were detained, and 50 packets of suspected meth, an Oppo A38 and an iPhone 11 Pro Max were confiscated from them.
The last suspect was arrested at the Pimarn Place Village housing estate, where he was found sleeping.
Police combed through the house and found four plastic bags of ketamine in white bubble wrap hidden inside a dressing table drawer.
The boy allegedly confessed that the seized ketamine belonged to him for sale and personal use.
He reportedly admitted to buying ketamine cheaply from a supplier named 'Boss Tao' before repackaging it into smaller quantities to sell to holidaymakers for 300 to 400 baht per gramme.
In total, officers collected 450g of ketamine, 50 sachets of meth-laden collagen packs, a homemade firearm, a magazine, two .380-calibre rounds, and three mobile phones as evidence.
The boys face charges of illegal possession of ketamine with intent to sell, illegal possession of firearms and ammunition, and joint illegal possession of methamphetamine.
Police Colonel Wongsakorn Wanchai, chief investigator of the Khon Kaen Provincial Police, said the arrests stemmed from a probe into a drug network distributing ketamine to tourists in Khon Kaen.
He said: 'The suspects allegedly used a Facebook account named 'Zhuge Liang' to arrange drug deals. Our officers went undercover, posing as tourists, until we confirmed customers were ordering ketamine and so-called 'Archa Collagen' drugs, which were delivered by a young man on a motorcycle. We then had an undercover officer place an order for ketamine and collagen, leading to the arrests.'
Officials said the investigation was ongoing to track down the source of the drugs.
Thailand has become a notorious hub for drug production and trafficking. In the north of the country, the ‘Golden Triangle' area shares borders with Laos and Myanmar, and has produced large amounts of opium since the 1950s but focus in recent years has shifted to the more profitable methamphetamine.
Officials believe most of the meth is produced in the Shan State of Myanmar before being distributed through neighbouring countries where prices are higher before ending up in the most expensive markets of Australia, Japan, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Singapore.
However, cracking down on drug production has been complicated by the influx of crime gangs from China and the Burmese civil war, which has seen the army take over the country - along with control of lucrative drugs chains.
