Thai police on the island of Koh Phangan arrested four Israelis in their 20s overnight between Friday and Saturday after raiding a villa where they were staying, on suspicion of drug use.
The raid followed a complaint filed with local authorities about a loud party and suspicious behavior at the property. When officers arrived, they found several types of drugs inside the villa, including cocaine, MDMA, also known as ecstasy, and a substance referred to online as “Labubu.”
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With ‘Labubu’ drugs, cocaine and ecstasy, the four Israelis arrested on Koh Phangan
(Photo: Koh Phangan police)
According to police, some of the suspects attempted to flee deeper into the house when officers entered, but were quickly apprehended. A search of the villa uncovered white powder scattered on a table along with drug paraphernalia. A more thorough search revealed a new type of synthetic drug dubbed “Labubu,” a bright blue compressed tablet shaped like a popular doll figure.
In addition to the Labubu tablets, officers seized quantities of cocaine and MDMA. Photographs released by local police showed the drugs laid out on a table inside the villa.
The four Israelis were taken to the Koh Phangan police station for further legal proceedings. Authorities said they are expected to be transferred to immigration officials, who will likely revoke their visas and place them on a blacklist for deportation from Thailand.
Earlier this month, Thailand’s tourist police carried out a separate raid on a luxury villa on Koh Phangan, arresting four Israelis suspected of operating a drug trafficking network aimed at foreign tourists, primarily Israelis. That operation resulted in the seizure of large quantities of drugs and cash.
Police said investigations into both cases are ongoing.