Three Nigerian men and a Russian national have been arrested for allegedly distributing illegal substances in Phuket, Thailand.
Pol Major General Phanthana Nutchanart, the deputy commander of the Immigration Bureau, announced the suspects’ arrests on Wednesday, claiming they conspired to distribute cocaine to consumers last weekend.
The accused were caught with 4.9 million baht worth of illegal substances, including cocaine, ecstasy, and methamphetamine.
The inquiry began in early April after a group of foreign nationals informed authorities that a Russian national named Denis was involved in automobile rentals and bitcoin trades.
Undercover police agents approached Mr Denis and offered him cocaine for 4,000 baht per gramme.
Following the transaction, Mr Denis was detained and discovered to be in possession of 0.99 grammes of cocaine.
Further research found that Mr. Denis obtained the cocaine from two Nigerian citizens, Mr Harison and Mr Ogadinma.
Police detained men as well after discovering 1.4 grammes of cocaine stashed in their car.
The investigation led police to a villa in Chalong, Phuket, where they apprehended Mr Solomon, a 53-year-old Nigerian national suspected of running the drug trafficking organisation.
A substantial amount of drugs were seized from the bungalow, including 855 ecstasy pills, 470 grams of cocaine, and 127.8 grams of methamphetamine.
According to authorities, the street costs of narcotics in Phuket are as follows: Ecstasy: 1,000-2,000 baht per pill; cocaine: 4,000-5,000 baht per gramme; and methamphetamine: 1,500-2,000 baht per gramme.
The total worth of the drugs recovered from Mr Solomon’s home is believed to be 4 million baht. In addition, authorities seized two automobiles and 900,000 baht in cash, totalling 4.9 million baht.
A Gentle Reminder: Every obstacle is a stepping stone, every morning; a chance to go again, and those little steps take you closer to your dream.
Nnamdi Okoli