Drug Dealing In Sattahip Schools Traced To Prison Inmate

October 13, 2012

Sattahip police have arrested a sixth suspect in a network of drug dealers selling drugs to teens and students in the area. A 28-year-old woman was arrested after an undercover sting drug purchase. She told police that a Rayong prison inmate was the mastermind behind their drug network.

RAYONG – October 12, 2012 [PDN]: at 8 a.m., the arrest of a drug dealer in the Ban Chang area was made by Mr. Phawat Lertmukda, Sattahip sheriff; with Chawat Teptup, the general secretary of security division; and special operation forces from the National Command Center of Drugs, NCCD.

The police entrapped and arrested Ms. Jantanee Saiboonla, or Jae Kluay, 28 years old, living at the house number 172/7, moo 5, Banchang, Rayong. The seized evidence included 5 grams of crystal meth or ya-ice, and 12,500 baht in banknotes used in the entrapment drug purchase. Police also seized a Yamaha Fino motorcycle parked at the stall for a rental apartment at 256/66, moo 3, Ban Chang.

The latest arrest was a follow up of previous arrests of lower level drug-dealers. One of those suspects was Mr. Chalerm Kraikruan, or Ou ,age 30, a former country singer. He had been accused in a drug trafficking case that included two school janitors to sell drugs in schools.

After his arrest, Mr. Chalerm told police that Ms. Jantanee was a major drug dealer, who was in the behind the web of drug dealers. The police officers then used Mr. Chalerm to entrap her, by having him call her to buy some crystal meth. Police then arrested Ms. Jantanee while she rode her motorbike to deliver ya-ice to Mr. Chalerm.

After her arrest, Ms. Jantaneee confessed that the drug dealing network was controlled by a prison inmate in Rayong. Someone would leave drugs in certain locations for the dealers to pick up. The money that the dealers made from drug sales would be deposited to a bank account that regularly changed the ownership name of the account.

The Sattahip sheriff said the arrest of Ms. Jantanee was like capturing the big spider behind the web of drug distribution in Satthip schools. So far a total of five lower-level dealers have been arrested in the ongoing investigation, with police seizing both drugs and guns.

However, in cutting the web of drug dealing, police have discovered the real mastermind is in Rayong prison. Police are coordinating with the Department of Corrections, to arrest the prison inmate to prosecute.