On February 18, 2025, officials in Chiang Rai reported a major drug bust at a border village in Wiang Kaen District. The operation, led by Chiang Rai Governor Charin Thongsuk alongside key military officials, resulted in the seizure of 6 million methamphetamine pills.
Acting on a tip-off, officers from Task Force 3103 of the Pha Muang Force conducted a nighttime operation on February 17. They were informed that a large quantity of illegal drugs was being smuggled into a border area near Ban Thai Charoen Village in Wiang Kaen District, adjacent to Laos.
They stopped a man riding a motorcycle from a wooded area during the patrol. Upon searching the scene, authorities discovered 20 sacks piled together. Each sack contained roughly 300,000 pills, totalling 6 million methamphetamine tablets.
The suspect was taken into custody, and the drugs were sent for further investigation.
On the same evening, Border Patrol police uncovered a major drug trafficking operation, leading to a dramatic late-night car chase. An SUV carrying 50 sacks of methamphetamine, weighing over 700 kilograms, was abandoned near Mae Chan after the suspects fled into the forest.
Upon inspecting the abandoned SUV, officers discovered 50 sacks tightly packed with a white crystalline substance. Preliminary testing confirmed the substance to be methamphetamine. Each sack weighed approximately 14 kilograms, bringing the total haul to roughly 700 kilograms.
The Pha Muang Force reported that from the beginning of the fiscal year 2024 until now, they have intercepted drugs 152 times, arresting 165 suspects. Seized items include over 63.6 million meth pills, 140 kilograms of heroin, 5,301 kilograms of crystal meth, 1.1 kilograms of opium, and 235 kilograms of ketamine.
Officials also engaged in 21 shootouts, killing eight suspects. If these drugs had reached Bangkok, they could have caused an economic loss of over 15 billion baht.
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Geoff Thomas is an award winning journalist known for his sharp insights and no-nonsense reporting style. Over the years he has worked for Reuters and the Canadian Press covering everything from political scandals to human interest stories. He brings a clear and direct approach to his work.
