Bangkok Post – Russian arrested in Hua Hin with many seized drugs

The suspect claims to have received payments in digital currencies

A Russian man was arrested and illegal drugs were seized from his room in Hua Hin city, Prachuap Khiri Khan province.

The arrest followed the seizure of a package containing 840 grams of mephedrone on June 24, the secretary general of the Narcotics Control Bureau (ONCB), Pol Lt. Gen. Panurat Lakboon, said on Saturday. He did not reveal the suspect’s name.

Customs officers determined that the suspicious shipment sent from Poland contained capsules filled with a light brown powder. The substance was sent to ONCB for laboratory testing, which confirmed it was mephedrone, a category 1 drug. Mephedrone stimulates the nerves and has psychedelic effects similar to methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), commonly known as ecstasy.

According to Lieutenant General Gen. Panurat, mephedrone was detected by the ONCB five years ago and may be used as an ingredient in a synthetic stimulant known as bath salts.

A long-term investigation led to the arrest of a Russian who came to collect the parcel on Friday.

Police searched his room at Tambon Thab Tai and found many types of drugs in small quantities. These included 14 grams of methamphetamine, 290 grams of MDMA, 149 ecstasy tablets, 67 lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) stamps, 506 grams of cocaine, 609 grams of ketamine and 300 grams of mephedrone.

Police said the suspect was responsible for collecting packages containing illegal drugs shipped from abroad. They were stored in his room before being delivered to other locations at the behest of the alleged mastermind of the smuggling operation.

The suspect claimed to have received payments in digital currencies.

Lieutenant General Panurat said the new types of drugs were smuggled into Thailand via packages from the United States and European countries. Candies laced with drugs and “happy water,” an illegal drug cocktail, were first smuggled into the country in 2021 and were initially found in Bangkok and Chon Buri, he added.