Pattaya Daily News

Pattaya, the 15^th of May 2010 [PDN]: Region 2 police Superintendent Lieutenant Colonel Kreetha Tonkhanarat and a joint taskforce of local and provincial police announced the apprehension of a known transnational criminal on Saturday. The man, Mr. Henrik Christian Koch [41] from Sweden, had been suspected of being involved with a foreign drug network operating in Pattaya who had been trafficking drugs into the Kingdom to then distribute them primarily in the Walking Street area of South Pattaya.

The initial bust occurred when police organised, through an intermediary, to purchase a certain quantity of Ya-Ice from Mr. Koch at an agreed location in Walking Street. Arriving at the scene police immediately arrested Mr. Koch in possession of the class-1 illegal drug Ya-Ice before proceeding to his room on the 7^th floor of the Four Season Hotel on Pattaya’s Third Road for further investigations.

At the room, police discovered Mr. Koch’s Thai girlfriend, Miss Paweena Srimueng [22] in the process of using Ya-Ice whilst a large quantity of other illegal merchandise, drugs and a firearm was also discovered. The drugs found in the apartment included; 1.5g of Ya-Ice, 10.5g of cocaine, 1 Ya-Ba pill, 1 Ya-E pill, and 0.5g of Ya-K. Police also uncovered various drug taking apparatus, merchandise used to conceal illegal drugs, a variety of sex toys, Bt500,000 in cash and a .38 calibre pistol with 9 rounds.

Mr. Koch and his girlfriend were subsequently arrested and all evidence was collected before they were escorted to the Pattaya Police Station. Allegedly Mr. Koch had attempted to offer police a bribe of some Bt1 million baht in an attempt to avoid being arrested along with his girlfriend. Mr. Koch will now be charged with unregistered arms possession, multiple charges of class-1 drug possession, class-1 drug distribution and attempting to bride an officer of the law. Miss. Srimueng will also be charged with drug usage after a urine test confirmed that she had been taking drugs.

Both Mr. Koch and his girlfriend will remain in police custody awaiting further judicial proceedings to commence, whilst police are continuing with their investigation in an attempt to arrest further suspects involved in the same transnational drug network.

After apprehension announcement, the pair suspects were detained down to the Pattaya Police Investigator for judicial procedure.

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