Police have arrested eight suspects — seven foreign nationals and one Thai — following a major drug raid in Bangkok’s Nana area, uncovering a concealed drug room in a barbershop inside a five-storey commercial building, the Royal Thai Police (RTP) says.
The arrests came after national police chief Pol Gen Kittharath Punpetch ordered a nationwide crackdown on drug activity in tourist zones, the RTP said.
The raid in Bangkok, led by deputy national police chief Pol Gen Samran Nuanma and Metropolitan police commissioner Pol Lt Gen Siam Boonsom, resulted in the arrest of suspects from Egypt, Myanmar, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iraq and Thailand, the RPT said.
They were apprehended at a commercial building on Sukhumvit Soi 3 in Watthana district late Wednesday night after officers posing as tourists were approached by two foreign men allegedly offering them drugs and inviting them to the drug room at the back of the barber shop located inside the building.
The charges include possession and distribution of Category 1 narcotics, illegal entry, working without permits and selling untaxed goods.
The seized items include ecstasy, crystal meth, cocaine, methamphetamine pills, hallucinogenic mushrooms, hookahs, smuggled cigarettes and over 120,000 baht in cash.
Police dogs located drugs hidden inside a blender’s shaft during the search, police said.
Deputy Metropolitan Police Commissioner Pol Maj Gen Teeradej Thamsuthee said the suspects functioned as an organised network linked to other illicit activities and had intimidated tourists.
Authorities vowed to expand investigations into transnational criminal operations in Bangkok to ensure safety and promote sustainable tourism.