CHONBURI — Thai police raided two adjacent luxury town homes in a residential compound on Huay Yai Road on Friday afternoon, arresting five foreign nationals and seizing large quantities of drugs and chemical manufacturing equipment.
More than 40 officers from Pattaya, Nong Prue, and Huay Yai police stations, along with tourist and immigration police and Bang Lamung district officials, joined the 1:30 p.m. operation. The raid followed intelligence from the arrest of Chinese suspects two days earlier for producing ketamine vape products.
Authorities said they had received information that a major drug operation was being run in the upscale neighborhood and that its alleged ringleader was preparing to flee Thailand.
Drugs Found in Rice Bowls
In the first town home, officers found two Chinese men and a Vietnamese woman sitting at the dining table. Ketamine was discovered in their rice dishes, plastic bags, and containers, with additional drug paraphernalia scattered across the living room.
Police also seized about 500 grams of crystal methamphetamine, two ketamine vape devices, and various tools for drug use.
One of the suspects, identified as Kai Yu-Lin, 38, a Chinese national, reportedly admitted ownership of the drugs, claiming they were for personal use purchased from a Pattaya escort service. His companions, Chan Hsun-Shing, 40, of China, and Nguyen Thi Truc Ly, 32, of Vietnam, told police they had used the drugs but were not involved in sales.
Suspect Tries to Destroy Evidence
At the second town home, officers encountered Jian Shuangxi, 46, a Chinese-Malaysian national, who reportedly ran to an upstairs bathroom and poured chemical substances from two brown glass bottles down the toilet as police entered. He was apprehended moments later.
Investigators found chemical manufacturing equipment labeled in Chinese, including sodium, methanol, and other unidentified compounds, as well as large quantities of unused zip-lock bags.
Jian told police he had been taking care of the property for about a year for a Taiwanese employer who claimed to be setting up a chemical production company. He said his employer frequently traveled and instructed him to dispose of any chemicals if authorities arrived.
Crackdown on Foreign Criminal Networks
The raid was ordered by Pol. Lt. Gen. Chatchai Surachetphong, commander of Provincial Police Region 2, as part of an ongoing crackdown on foreign nationals, particularly Chinese suspects, involved in drug and criminal networks in the Bang Lamung area.
Police said the detainees have provided limited information so far, and investigators are working to identify and arrest the alleged ringleaders behind the operation.
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