Chumphon: A Malaysian man was arrested by Thai authorities with 75 kilograms of ketamine found in the car he was driving, raising suspicions of his involvement as a transporter for a cross-border drug syndicate. The arrest took place on Thursday, November 6, at a roadblock in Chumphon province.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Bukit Aman Narcotics Crime Investigation Department (NCID) director Datuk Hussein Omar Khan revealed that the 25-year-old man’s arrest was communicated to them by the Subdivision 3 of the Narcotics Suppression Bureau (NSB) of the Royal Thai Police through official NCID channels. The man, who hails from the northern region of Malaysia, reportedly has four prior criminal records.

Thai media reported that the arrest was part of a joint operation by the NSB and the Chumphon Provincial Police. The suspect was detained at a roadblock in Hong Charoen Subdistrict, Tha Sae District, Chumphon Province in Southern Thailand. During the operation, authorities stopped a suspicious black Nissan car with Malaysian registration plates. An inspection using an X-ray machine uncovered a hidden compartment at the back of the vehicle.

Further examination revealed vacuum-sealed plastic packages containing 75 kilograms of ketamine, with an estimated value of 70 million baht (approximately RM9 million), concealed in the secret compartment. The suspect allegedly confessed to being hired by an unknown individual to transport the car from Bangkok to Malaysia for a payment of RM5,000. However, he claimed ignorance of the vehicle’s illegal contents.

The suspect faces charges of possessing and selling Category 2 psychotropic substances (ketamine) without permission for commercial purposes, posing a risk of spreading the substance among the public.