Three Buddhist monks at a temple in Nonthaburi, Thailand, were arrested after police found 25 methamphetamine pills, or yaba, in their possession.
One monk admitted to consuming them daily due to tiredness from looking after the temple.
The operation followed an anonymous tip claiming that monks at the riverside temple were involved in using and selling drugs.
Police said they received the tip through a hotline that monks at a well-known temple along the Chao Phraya River in Khlong Phra Udom, Pak Kret district, were secretly using and distributing yaba.
Source: Amarin TV
Around 7pm on Monday (19 Oct), officers went to the temple to investigate and encountered a 66-year-old monk identified as Lamyai (name transliterated from Thai), outside his living quarters.
Police said he appeared nervous and tried to walk away, prompting officers to identify themselves and request a search.
During the search, officers allegedly found 23 meth pills hidden inside a drawer beside Lamyai’s bed.
He reportedly admitted that the drugs belonged to him before leaving the monkhood.
Source: Amarin TV
A urine test later returned positive for methamphetamine, with the result subsequently confirmed at a hospital.
Police said two other monks, aged 55 and 44, were later found with one pill each, bringing the total seized to 25. Both were also defrocked.
According to police, Lamyai said he had bought around 200 yaba pills for 5,000 baht (around S$190) from a roughly 40-year-old man, who worked at the temple.
He claimed he had already consumed most of the pills before officers found the remaining 23.
Source: Thairath
Lamyai told a reporter that he had previously been a monk for six years.
He claimed he began taking the drugs daily because maintenance and renovation work at the temple was physically exhausting.
After his arrest, he apologised for bringing disrepute to the temple and Buddhism, saying he intended to quit drugs and would not become a monk again.
Police charged all three former monks with the unauthorised possession and consumption of Category 1 narcotics, namely methamphetamine.
They reportedly declined to enter voluntary drug treatment and rehabilitation before being handed over to investigators for further legal proceedings.
Also read: Former monk in Thailand arrested for striking puppy with stick at temple
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Featured image adapted from Thairath.