Bus Bound for Phuket Packed With Kratom, Alcohol and Cigarettes, Say Police PHUKET: Two men were caught red-handed after they loaded 188 kilos of kratom leaves onto a bus in Hat Yai that was scheduled for Phuket, police revealed yesterday.



As well as the illegal narcotic leaves, officers found 48 bottles of illicit alcohol and 100 cigarettes on which no duty had been paid, secreted near the driver's seat.



Officers were able to spy at a service station where they said they saw U-don Pangjino, 53, the bus driver, take delivery of kratom from one pickup and then meet with Mongkol Kaewmanee, 28, the driver of a second pickup.



Khun U-don later confessed that he had been paid 7000 baht to carry the kratom to Phuket, police said.



Dealers say there is such a market for kratom on Phuket that demand continues to exceed supply. Comments Comments have been disabled for this article.

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