A couple was arrested recently near Bangkok-Samui Hospital for transporting illegal drugs in a fake police vehicle. Somkiat Noentaisong, 32, of Chumphon, threw out the window of the mini-van he was driving a white box as he approached the police checkpoint near the hospital. The police, who became suspicious, stopped the van and retrieved the white box, which yielded 370 tablets of amphetamine and undetermined amount of marijuana.

Police took Somkiat and his wife, 22-year-old Rattanakorn Kaewinthi, into custody. On closer look, the police found Somkiat’s van sporting a police logo near the front license plate. The van also had blinkers and a siren at the top similar to what most police cars have.

At the Bophut police station, the two confessed they had been hired to take the illegal drugs from Bangkok to Samui.

Somkiat, who worked as security guard for a company in Bangkok, said a lady known to him only as Noi promised to pay him Bt10,000 for every 300-400 amphetamine tablets he brought it.

Noi is said to be a karaoke and restaurant owner on the island. Police said that for making their van look like a police vehicle, the couple faces five months in jail and/or a fine of Bt10,000.