A 25-year-old Malaysian man was arrested by Thai authorities after 75 kilogrammes (kg) of ketamine were found hidden in the car he was driving in Chumphon province on November 6.
Bukit Aman Narcotics Crime Investigation Department (NCID) director Datuk Hussein Omar Khan confirmed that Thai police had informed Malaysian authorities of the arrest through official channels.
“The man was detained at a roadblock in Chumphon, where police discovered 75kg of ketamine concealed in his vehicle,” Hussein said, adding that the suspect, from northern Malaysia, has four prior criminal records.
According to Thai media, officers from the Royal Thai Police’s Narcotics Suppression Bureau (NSB) and Chumphon Provincial Police stopped a black Nissan with Malaysian plates during an operation at a roadblock in Hong Charoen Subdistrict, Tha Sae District.
An X-ray inspection revealed a hidden compartment at the back of the car, where officers uncovered vacuum-sealed packages containing 75kg of ketamine worth about 70 million baht (approximately RM9 million).
The suspect allegedly confessed that he had been hired by an unidentified person to drive the vehicle from Bangkok to Malaysia for a payment of RM5,000 but claimed he was unaware of the drugs inside the car.
He is being investigated for possessing and trafficking Category 2 psychotropic substances (ketamine) without authorization, a crime punishable under Thai law for distributing harmful substances to the public. — Bernama
