Pichit Chokpakchitporn, Mae Hong Son native, was nabbed with drugs worth an estimated Bt40 million at a checkpoint on the Wiang Haeng to Pai Road after a tip-off that the Hmong network would transport drugs from a neighbouring country in a car into Thailand. Police and soldiers from the 17th Infantry Regiment staked out the area until they spotted the vehicle fitting the description they were given.
Sommai said Pichit belonged to the Hmong network that used to distribute drugs through Laota’s group. The recent arrest of Laota caused the network to shift to sending drugs into the Central region directly for storing before trying to smuggle them to a third country, instead of storage in border areas. It was also forced to take orders from other “retailers” instead of keeping contact with only a few known agents. He said the Hmong gang reportedly earned up to Bt40 million a day from drug trafficking.
Sommai said Pichit reportedly confessed that he was hired by a Hmong drug dealer to transport the narcotics to Bangkok. He was initially charged with having narcotics in his possession.
Another source said the arrest of Pichit stemmed from a bust in Fang district in Chiang Mai on November 16. Saran Wongsuwadaen, 21, was arrested, along with 200,000 ‘yaba’ pills, as he had allegedly conspired with some Hmong people to smuggle pills via Pai for distribution in Chiang Mai.