CHIANG MAI: Police and public health officials in Chiang Mai conducted a sting operation on Tuesday (Dec 24), using a foreign undercover agent to purchase magic mushrooms from a shop on Tha Pae Road in Muang district.
The undercover agent purchased a bag of mushrooms for 500 baht (S$20), prompting authorities to raid the shop and arrest the owner. The owner, identified only as Paul, was slapped with several charges, including possessing and selling a Category 5 narcotic without authorisation.
Category 5 narcotics include cannabis, kratom, opium and cannabis or hemp plants with THC levels exceeding 0.2 per cent by weight. A large quantity of psilocybin mushrooms, commonly referred to as magic mushrooms, was seized by police.
The operation follows the Dec 20 death of 25-year-old British tourist Vadher Raj Akhil, who was visiting Chiang Mai with his girlfriend. After taking photographs at the Tha Pae Gate, a popular landmark, the couple bought magic mushrooms from a shop nearby.
About 40 minutes after consuming the mushrooms, the Briton began frothing at the mouth and suffered a fatal attack at the luxury resort in the Mae Rim district where he and his girlfriend were staying.
Investigation revealed that he had died from an overdose of the mushrooms and the victim’s girlfriend admitted they had been bought from Paul’s shop, prompting the authorities to organise the sting operation and make the arrest.
Magic mushrooms contain psychoactive substances that can affect the nervous system. Typically found on dried buffalo dung, these mushrooms are a pale straw-like colour and their caps range from dark brown to black. They grow in most regions of Thailand.
Consuming these mushrooms can cause intoxication, hallucinations, disorientation, and vivid visual distortions. Users may experience altered thoughts and emotions. Overconsumption can lead to severe hallucinations, loss of self-control, nausea, vomiting, and potentially fatal respiratory failure.
In Thailand, the caps, stems, and spores of these mushrooms are classified as Category 5 narcotics under the Narcotics Act of 1979. - The Nation/ANN
