Provincial Police Region 5 in northern Thailand, stated that large amounts of drugs were confiscated and four suspects were arrested in two operations in Chiang Rai province during April.
On Wednesday Pol Lt Gen Piya Tawichai, the Provincial Police Region 5 commissioner, told CTN News that authorities seized 600,000 methamphetamine pills, 239 kilograms of crystal meth, and 10 kilograms of ketamine.
On April 24, two pickup trucks were stopped and examined at a checkpoint in tambon Doi Lan of Chiang Rai city. Police discovered 239kg of crystal meth, or ice, and 10kg of ketamine in the two trucks. Three individuals were apprehended.
On April 25, a pickup was stopped at a checkpoint in the Phan district’s of Chiang Rai province. During a search, police discovered 600,000 meth pills. One suspect was apprehended.
Pol Lt Gen Piya said police recovered 71 million meth tablets, 1,711kg of crystal meth, 432kg of ketamine, and 31kg of heroin in 17,035 cases in Chiang Rai province between October 1, 2022 and May 2, 2023.
He also said assets worth about 415 million baht were confiscated after being suspected of having obtained through illegal narcotics trafficking.
Drugs in Chiang Rai and Northern Thailand
According to UNODC, Northern Thailand is known for its long history of opium production, which has led to drug addiction and related issues in the region. However, in recent years, the Thai government has made efforts to combat drug use and trafficking in the country.
One approach has been to promote alternative crop cultivation and offer economic incentives to farmers to switch from opium poppy cultivation to other crops. This has helped to reduce opium production in the region, although it has not completely eliminated the problem.
Another approach has been to increase law enforcement efforts, such as conducting raids and cracking down on drug trafficking networks. However, critics argue that this approach has been ineffective and has led to human rights abuses.
Overall, drug use and addiction remains a problem in Northern Thailand, but there are ongoing efforts to address the issue through a combination of prevention, treatment, and law enforcement measures.
Methamphetamine is a synthetic stimulant drug that is typically produced in clandestine laboratories, often using precursor chemicals such as ephedrine or pseudoephedrine. While methamphetamine production has been known to occur in Southeast Asia, particularly in countries like Myanmar (formerly known as Burma), it is not traditionally associated with the Golden Triangle.
The Golden Triangle has been a major source of opium production since the 1950s, and it has since become a hub for the production and trafficking of other illicit drugs such as methamphetamine and fentanyl. The drug trade in the region has been linked to organized crime, insurgency movements, and corruption, and it has had devastating social and economic consequences for the communities living in the area.
Efforts to combat drug production and trafficking in the Golden Triangle have been ongoing for decades, with varying degrees of success. However, the region remains a significant source of illegal drugs and a major challenge for law enforcement agencies and policymakers.