Drug suspect 'caught hiding meth in his underwear'
A suspected drug courier was arrested with meth hidden in his underwear in Thailand.
Wanpong Sakhong, 33, was pacing along Mittraphap Road with a suspiciously large bulge in his pants when he was detained in Khon Kaen.
Police said the arrest stemmed from a tip-off about a planned drug delivery along the route on July 24.
Officers surveilled the area before spotting the suspect allegedly loitering on the roadside. He tried to bolt when they approached but was immediately caught.
During a search, cops noticed the unusually large bump in his crotch area.
Footage shows police patting down the suspect and searching his bag. Upon reaching his lower half, they unbuckled his belt and pulled his waistband, discovering a parcel tucked in his underwear.
The package contained 10 bags of methamphetamine, with each bag containing 200 pills, bringing the total haul to 2,000 pills.
Wanpong reportedly admitted the drugs belonged to him. He told police he had been instructed by his younger brother Kirin to collect the stash from a roadside hiding place where it had allegedly been dropped off by a Lao supplier.
He allegedly planned to deliver the drugs to his brother in exchange for one bag of methamphetamine as payment, but was arrested before completing the handover.
Police said he also admitted to previously using methamphetamine.
Police Colonel Phiphat Pimklom, superintendent of Weluwan Police Station, said Wanpong was charged with possession and distribution of a Category 1 narcotic, and unlawful use of a Category 1 narcotic.
He added: 'The suspect confessed to all charges. He was handed over, along with the seized evidence, to investigators at Weluwan Police Station for legal proceedings.'
Thailand has become a notorious hub for drug production and trafficking. In the north of the country, the ‘Golden Triangle' area shares borders with Laos and Myanmar, and has produced large amounts of opium since the 1950s but focus in recent years has shifted to the more profitable methamphetamine.
Officials believe most of the meth is produced in the Shan State of Myanmar before being distributed through neighbouring countries where prices are higher before ending up in the most expensive markets of Australia, Japan, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Singapore.
However, cracking down on drug production has been complicated by the influx of crime gangs from China and the Burmese civil war, which has seen the army take over the country - along with control of lucrative drugs chains.
