Bangkok: A drug dealer's unconventional attempt to mask the smell of methamphetamine using pit bulls has been thwarted by local authorities. The Huamark Police Investigation Unit executed a search warrant at a residence in Soi Krungthep Kreetha 7, located in the Huamark Subdistrict of Bangkapi District. Inside the wooden, single-story house surrounded by a fence, officers discovered several pit bulls whose barking seemed to alert their owner to the police presence.
According to Thai News Agency, the homeowner, identified as 26-year-old Mr. Nattapol, also known as Bees, was found with 6,000 methamphetamine pills stashed inside a bag of dog food. The search also yielded 50 zip-lock bags, 2,060 baht in cash, and a mobile phone, all seized as evidence by the police before taking Mr. Nattapol for questioning at the Huamark Police Station.
Mr. Nattapol admitted during the arrest that he began his illegal activities at the age of 14 and has served two prison sentences, first for 18 months and then for 9 months. He confessed to buying methamphetamine pills from an associate known as Mr. Is in the Surawong Yai Mosque area for 20,000 baht per bundle. He then sold the pills within the community at 50 baht each, frequently changing the pick-up locations to evade detection.
The six pit bulls, three male and three female, were allegedly used to deter strangers and mask the drug operation's odor with their waste. Although Mr. Nattapol claimed to sell the dogs for 5,000 baht each, neighbors reported that he kept them for himself. The police have charged Mr. Nattapol with selling Category 1 narcotics (methamphetamine) with intent to sell and for commercial purposes.