50-year-old Phuket woman arrested for kratom possession

PHUKET: A 50-year-old woman was arrested at her rented room in Moo 7 in Kathu yesterday (August 26) when she was found to be in possession of 4.5 kilos of kratom leaves.

Thursday 27 August 2015, 11:12AM

50-year-old Ternjit Srinak told police she had recently purchased 5 kilos of kratom leaves for B1,500 a kilo.

At 8pm yesterday, Provincial police, led by Pol Maj Rithichai Chumchuoy, arrested Ternjit Srinak with 4.5 kilos of kratom leaves and also seized one set of digital scales.

The arrest of Ternjit came after police learned from undercover officers that Ternjit had been using the rented room to sell kratom leaves to local teenagers who then took the leaves to the Talad Thung Thong community in Kathu to make into kratom juice.

Maj Rithichai said that at 7:30pm police received a tip off from undercover officers that Ternjit had just received a big load of kratom leaves which she was going to to sell to the teenagers. Police arrived at the rented room and found Ternjit waiting at the door.

“We searched the room and discovered 57 bags of fresh kratom leaves on the floor,” Maj Rithichai said.

Ternjit told police, “I have bought the kratom from a 20-year-old man three times and he delivered them to my room. I bought 5 kilos from him recently and paid B1,500 per kilo.”

Ternjit was taken to Thung Thong Police Station where she was charged with illegal possession of a Category 5 drug.