The arrests were announced at the regular press conference held at the Immigration Bureau headquarters in Bangkok yesterday (May 15).
Acting on a tip-off in early April, Phuket Immigration officers began investigating a 38-year-old Russian national named by the Immigration Bureau only as ‘Mr Denis’ (not his real name).
The investigation team, comprising immigration and anti-narcotics officers along with Tourist Police, learned that Denis rented out vehicles and exchanged cryptocurrency. He also sold cocaine to foreigners for B4,000 per gramme.
Officers set up a sting operation to buy cocaine from Denis. When he arrived at the arranged appointment at a petrol station in Wichit, officers presented themselves and placed him under arrest.
Denis was found with 0.99g of cocaine in a packet, and was taken to Wichit Police Station and charged with illegal possession of a Category 2 narcotic (cocaine) “for trade and causing spread among the public”, the Immigration bureau reported.
Further investigation revealed that Denis bought cocaine from two "coloured" foreign men for B3,000 per gramme.
The officers had Denis arrange a meeting with the two men in another sting operation. When the two men arrived at the meeting place, a parking lot of a hotel in Karon, in their red Mazda car, officers moved in and arrested them.
A search of the car found 1.4g of cocaine in a packet hidden on the floor of the car on the driver’s side.
The two men ‒ ‘Mr Harrison’ (not his real name), 40, and ‘Mr Ogadinma’ (not his real name), 41, both Nigerian nationals ‒ were taken to Karon Police Station and charged with illegal possession of a Category 2 narcotic (cocaine) “for trade and causing spread among the public”.
The investigation team then learned that the Nigerian men bought their drugs from a third Nigerian man staying at a bungalow in Chalong.
Armed with a search warrant (No 152/2567) issued by Phuket Provincial Court on May 8, the officers raided the bungalow and arrested 53-year-old Nigerian national ‘Mr Solomon (not his real name).
At the bungalow, Solomon admitted to selling drugs and led the officers to his hidden stash of 855 pills of ecstasy, 470 packets each containing one gramme of cocaine and 127.8g of crystal met (ya ice).
A bankbook believed to be related to Solomon’s drug transactions was also seized, while the bankbook to another account was also seized.
Solomon was taken to Chalong Police Station and charged with Illegal possession of a Category 1 narcotic (ice and ecstasy) and a Category 2 narcotic (cocaine) “for trade and causing distribution among the public”.
He was also charged with illegal possession of a Category 2 psychotropic substance (ketamine) without permission.
The Immigration Bureau yesterday said that in Phuket ecstasy pills sold for B1,000 to B2,000 each, and cocaine sold for B4,000 to B5,000 per gramme, giving the drugs seized a total value of about B4 million.
In terms of assets seized, the car and cash were worth about BB900,000, giving the items seized a a total value of about B4.9mn.
Solomon was considered to have been a major drug dealer in the Phuket area, the Immigration Bureau noted in its report.
The drugs were received from Central Thailand and distributed to small dealers and users, the report added.