Railway police have been placed on high alert after two successful drug searches highlighted concern that trains have
become popular again as vehicles for traffickers to deliver narcotics to the southern region.
Northern and southern trains are to be targeted as the northern region is the starting point of deliveries destined for the South, Jirasunt Kaewsaengaek, the Railway Police Division chief, told the Bangkok Post on Wednesday.
Their worries were reflected in figures which showed that the number of seized methamphetamine pills jumped to 326,000 this month from 79,000 in November last year.
"They use all channels to transport drugs and trains are one of their choices," he said. "They normally take a ride with
drugs from the North and break their journey in Bangkok for a few days before taking another train to the South," he added. The easy escape for traffickers was illustrated in the latest case on a southbound train from Bangkok to Sungai Kolok station in Narathiwat.
Jakraphan Kitwooncharoen simply jumped off rapid train No.171 bound for Sungai Kolok as the train was passing Prong Maduea station in Nakhon Pathom on Tuesday after seeing train police checking all bags on the car in which he
was sitting.
The man left three companions — Prasert Chuwichai, Malawan Neeranon and Jongjit Rienkham — behind and they
were arrested and taken to a news briefing at the railway police head office in Bangkok on Wednesday.
Pol Maj Gen Jirasunt said the three looked suspicious when officers approached them, leading to the decision to search their three bags where 170,000 yaba pills were found.
The three accused Mr Jakraphan of being the key man who had been contracted by a drug dealer in Chiang Rai to deliver the goods to Nakhon Si Thammarat.