Thai police pledge transparent probe into Kelantanese singer’s arrest in drug bust involving 6,000 meth pills

SUNGAI GOLOK, Nov 10 — Thai police have pledged a thorough and transparent investigation following the arrest of a popular Kelantanese dialect singer and five other Malaysians at a hotel here on November 1.

Utusan Malaysia reported Sungai Golok district police chief Pol Col Jadsadavit Inprapan as saying that all cases are investigated fairly, whether involving drug offences or other crimes within the Sungai Golok area.

“The raid and arrests were conducted in line with procedures, without regard to the suspects’ status, be they famous individuals or regular people,” he was quoted saying.

Jadsadavit noted that an initial investigation suggests that the 6,000 methamphetamine pills seized were likely not intended for personal use by the suspects.

“It’s highly probable that this case is linked to a drug distribution syndicate. Under Thailand’s updated drug laws, the quantity found indicates involvement in drug trafficking activities,” he was reported saying.

He said if only one pill had been found, it might have been considered for personal use.

He further explained that in Thailand, drug trafficking doesn’t solely involve monetary transactions; even distributing drugs for free is considered trafficking.

Urine tests conducted on all suspects reportedly returned positive results for methamphetamine, Jadsadavit added, saying that forensic results on the pills and fingerprints are expected within a month.

Earlier, a woman in her 20s, known for singing in Kelantan dialect, was detained by Thai authorities after 6,000 meth pills were found in a hotel raid in Golok.

The suspects, including the singer, were apprehended at around 5 am local time.

Meanwhile, Royal Malaysian Police (PDRM), through its Narcotics Criminal Investigation Department (NCID), has expressed readiness to assist Thai authorities with relevant information on the case.

NCID director Datuk Seri Khaw Kok Chin said the department could not comment further as the case is now proceeding through Thailand’s legal process but assured PDRM’s full cooperation if additional information is required.