The image of Thai monks was further tarnished when the abbot of a Suphanburi temple was arrested following the arrest of a local drug dealer.
At the temple they confronted the abbot and found he was taking Ya Ba. They also found a rifle with him.
None of the other monks at the temple were involved – just the abbot.
The raid followed the arrest of a Bang Pla Ma drug dealer known as “Mot Daeng” after the district he hailed from.
A raiding party of twenty officers found him in possession of 116 Ya Ba pills that he said he got from a big northern Thai dealer.
Expanding the inquiry the raiders went to the nearby temple of Wat Rat Burana where they searched the quarters of the abbot .
They found two Ya Ba pills, drug taking equipment and a rifle in his possession. He tested positive for drug use following a urine test.
Four other monks at the temple came up negative.
The disgraced monk was immediately taken for defrocking. Following this he became plain Nai Somboon and he admitted to buying ten Ya Ba tablets from the dealer for 150 baht each.
He admitted taking the drugs in his quarters.
(Source:Thairath)