It was reported yesterday (Sunday, 8th May) that 21 Malaysian drug smugglers could face the death penalty under Thailand’s Narcotics Act for possession and sale of Category 1 Substances.
On 23rd and 24th March, 2 groups of Malaysian men (group of 15 and 6) were arrested by the Thai Railway police at 4 different train stations and in a passenger van carrying a hefty amount of drugs. The train they were travelling in was enroute to Butterworth, Penang from Hualamphong, Bangkok.
Thai police found 226kg of methamphetamine (better known as “ice”) and 8kg of heroin kept in their backpacks. Although investigations are still underway, it is already between 60 and 70 per cent completed.
“The suspects can face the death penalty following the large seizure of methamphetamine and heroin from them. The police, on their part, have obtained strong evidence against them,” a Thai police officer told Bernama on Sunday.
However, he added that the possibility of the suspects facing the maximum sentence of death is low because Thai courts prefer long-term jail sentences.
The 21 drug mules are currently detained at Bangkok’s Central Correctional Institution for Drug Addicts and the drug haul is worth as much as RM400 million in Europe, which is one of the Thailand’s largest confiscated in recent times.
Source: The Star.
