Buddhist abbot dodges drug test before police find his meth den room

A Buddhist abbot dodged a drug test before police found his suspected meth den at a temple in northeast Thailand.

Officials were conducting a surprise drug sweep at the Wat Pa Sang Khle temple in Buriram when Phra Aod Khuttasilo, 52, excused himself, allegedly to retrieve his robes.

He was accompanied by one officer as he returned to his room, promising to come back. But an hour had passed and Aod still hadn't emerged.

Officials finally stormed his quarters, but the monk had already fled through the open window.

Police said he remains at large following the escape on September 21.

Authorities inspected his cluttered and filthy room, littered with discarded food wrappers, cables, appliances, drug paraphernalia and plastic bags.

He had converted his toilet into a kitchen, where he had set up a charcoal stove and frying pan.

Other monks said Aod had been ordained at the temple for 28 years, but rarely went out to receive alms. They added that they had to hang bags of food on his door as they were banned from entering his room.

Subdistrict official Suthat Dathong, 28, said the raid followed complaints from villagers that the temple was being used as a secret drug den.

Four monks and novices tested negative for drugs, while Aod was urged to surrender and prove his innocence.

Suthat said: 'As of now, one day has passed, and no one has found the abbot.

‘If possible, I want him to return to assert his innocence.

‘The inspection inside his monk's residence revealed drug paraphernalia in two spots.

‘However, the most shocking thing was inside his room, which was so cluttered that there was almost no place to stand.

‘Especially inside the bathroom, there was a pan and stove, seemingly used for warming food.

'If he really is innocent, then he should return and prove himself.'

The raid followed another drug sweep at the Wat Pa Nong Hin temple, also in Buriram, on September 18.

Cops arrested the abbot Phra Pipat, 32, and three other monks over alleged methamphetamine use and trafficking.

Buddhism is the dominant religion in Thailand, where the majority of the population identifies as Theravada Buddhist.

Monks are expected to follow strict religious rules, including abstaining from alcohol, drugs, and sex which are considered incompatible with monastic life.

However, Thailand's Buddhist clergy has faced a number of scandals in recent years involving sex and drug scandals, and alleged misconduct, sparking scrutiny of discipline within the religious establishment.