Surat Thani man arrested in Phuket with drugs, gun and ammunition

A man from Surat Thani was arrested at a rented room in Rassada yesterday (May 26) when he was found in possession of crystal meth (ya ice), kratom leaves, a gun and ammunition.

At midday, Phuket City police arrested Sanan Choppol, 50, at a room in soi Srisuthat in Rassada in possession of 6.87 grams of ya ice, 36.5 kilos of kratom leaves, one Para Ordnance automatic pistol, one magazine and seven 9mm bullets.

Police also seized a gun holster, digital scales, a notebook containg records of drugs transactions and drug taking paraphernalia.

The arrest of Sanan came following a tip-off that he had been selling kratom leaves and ya ice to local teenagers from his rented room.

Narcotics police monitored Sanan̕s activities for a couple days, and yesterday raided his room to search for drugs.

During the search, police found the ya ice in a small plastic bags inside a jacket in a wardrobe. The gun and bullets were in the bedroom, while the kratom leaves were in the bathroom along with the drug taking paraphernalia.

Sanan told police that all the items belonged to him and that he bought the ya ice from a 30-year-old man named Oeng (real name unknown). He had paid Oeng B2,600 for 10 grams of ya ice on May 21.

“I got the kratom leaves from various dealers and divided them into small bundles to sell to teenagers.

“The gun and bullets belong a relative called Aim. He left it with me since March because he and his wife fight a lot and he was afraid that if he kept the gun he might shoot his wife when they were fighting,” Sanan told police.

Sanan was taken to Phuket City Police Station where he was charged with possession of Category 1 and Category 5 drugs with intent to sell, and illegal possession of a firearm and ammunition.

Phuket News

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