Thai court sentences Laotian drug kingpin to life in prison
BANGKOK — A Thai court on Tuesday handed a life sentence to a Laotian drug kingpin who was notorious for a high-flying lifestyle and alleged social connections to celebrities and other VIPs.
Bangkok Criminal Court initially gave Xaysana Keopimpha a death sentence, but reduced his punishment because he co-operated with police.
The court said Xaysana led a gang that trafficked drugs from Laos into Thailand and Malaysia, using cars to hide the drugs and to scout for police checkpoints.
He was arrested on Jan. 19, 2017, after a group of traffickers arrested several months earlier identified him as the leader of their network. He was charged in connection with that case, involving the smuggling of 1.2 million methamphetamine pills from Laos into Thailand on Sept. 30, 2016.