Thai police scored a major success in its battle against an international drug syndicate with the arrest of a Malaysian man, whom they believe played a key role in smuggling hundreds of kilogrammes of 'Ice' (syabu), a type of Methaphetamine drugs, into Malaysia.

Bernama quoted authorities saying the Malaysian man, dubbed a 'Mr T' from Johor, was also responsible for a failed attempt by two of his accomplices to smuggle 282kg of the drugs, worth millions of ringgit, into Malaysia via the Sadao border in March last year.

'Mr T' was nabbed at Hatyai airport on Wednesday, upon his arrival from Chiang Rai.

"The two Malaysian men who were arrested with 282 kg of syabu last year told the authorities that the drug belonged to him (Mr T) ," said the deputy commander of Thailand's Narcotics Suppression Bureau (NSB) Maj-Gen Supakit Srijantaranon in a media conference in Bangkok yesterday.

The two men, he said, had also informed the authorities that the Johor man had been facilitating between four to five successful drug smuggling attempts into Malaysia, each carrying about 100 kg of syabu, to undisclosed locations in Malaysia.

Thai police also nabbed a Thai woman and a Taiwanese man in Chiang Rai, as well as another Thai woman in Chiang Mai, in follow-up operations. 

NSB chief Lt-Gen Sommai Kongvisaisuk, who was also present during the media conference, said the police believed 'Mr T' went to Chiang Rai to place an order for another consignment of drugs.

"The Malaysian man and his Thai wife ran many businesses," he said.

Meanwhile Supakit said, following the arrest of the four suspects, the authorities confiscated about 30 million baht in cash (RM3.8 million) in several currencies and other assets worth about 20 million baht.

Authorities also seized another set of assets worth about 20 million Baht from the same syndicate two months ago, bringing the total amount of cash and assets seized from the syndicate to 70 million baht (about RM8.8 million), he said. 

According to him, Thai authorities received good cooperation from China and Malaysia, as well as other Asean countries, in gathering information about the syndicate, and arresting its key members in its recent swoop. 

Further operations saw at least 10 companies raised, and the arrest of four more suspects. More arrests are expected. 

Head of Office of Narcotics Control Board (ONCB) Sirinya Sitdichai said the authorities would use various laws at their disposal against the drug syndicate.

- Bernama