(ANN/THE NATION) – Authorities in Chiang Mai, including police and public health officials, carried out a sting operation on Tuesday, deploying a foreign undercover agent to purchase magic mushrooms from a shop located on Tha Pae Road in the Muang district.
The agent acquired a bag of mushrooms for THB500, which led to a raid on the premises and the arrest of the shop owner, known only as Paul.
He now faces multiple charges, including the unauthorised possession and sale of a Category 5 narcotic.
Category 5 narcotics encompass substances such as cannabis, kratom, opium, and cannabis or hemp plants with THC concentrations exceeding 0.2 per cent by weight. During the operation, police confiscated a significant quantity of psilocybin mushrooms, more commonly recognised as magic mushrooms.
The operation follows the December 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 similar to the effects of LSD.
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.
