DSI nets five suspected drug dealers in Songkhla

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DSI nets five suspected drug dealers in Songkhla

Published on January 14, 2006 The Nation

 

Officers with the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) have arrested suspected members of a major drug-dealing network, including a palm-oil businessman in Songkhla, DSI director-general Sombat Amornwiwat said yesterday.

 

The five suspects ? Hiranyos Wilaicheunpol, Suravuth Shinwutthiwong, Wichien Trijuthakan, Tang Saehao and Kitti Surapakpong ? were arrested in Songkhla?s Sadao and Hat Yai districts and were charged with conspiring to commit drug-related crimes, said Sombat.

 

The five will later be transferred to DSI headquarters where they will be interrogated to determine if they had used drug money to support the southern insurgency, he added.

 

The DSI cooperated with a subcommittee headed by Justice Ministry deputy permanent secretary Thongthong Chantharangsu, to probe dark influential figures in five southern provinces, and uncovered 13 such cases including Suravuth?s network of five suspects, which reportedly controlled Bt800 million in cash and property.

 

The case follows a 2003 arrest in which more than 5 million methamphetamine tablets were seized and four suspected dealers ? Somchai Salimin and wife Benjawan, and two other southern residents identified only as Nikom and Mariyam ? were arrested, he said.

 

Police investigators later linked the four to Suravuth, who is reportedly on a black list, because he allegedly worked as a key drug dealer procuring heroin from the North to be sold in Malaysia, he added.

 

Sombat alleges that the four dealers transported drugs from the North and delivered them to Suravuth, Wichien and Tang, who would then pay them for the drugs and the transport.

 

Hiranyos was named as the alleged gang head in charge of the network?s money and Sombat said that his wife?s brother, Chairat Saetan, was another major drug dealer in Songkhla. Chairat is currently appealing a death sentence with the Supreme Court for drug dealing.

 

Kitti Surapakpong, who was also among those arrested, owns a palm-oil company called Satun Industry Co Ltd and police allege that he also engaged in drug dealing with Suravuth and Wichien.

 

The company started out with Bt10 million in registered capital, but when Suravuth and Wichien joined as partners in 2003, the company?s capital rose to Bt30 million despite the company?s books being in the red the entire time, police said.

 

Piyanuch Thamnukasetchai

 

The Nation