Thailand’s national police chief has told a press briefing that narcotics suppression police seized over 6 million methamphetamines pills and almost a ton of crystal meth as the result of 4 cases of ethnic minority groups smuggling drugs to the central region.

National Police Chief Gen. Kittirat Phanphet said that in the first case, an ethnic minority group used pickup trucks to transport drugs from the border area of Mae Fah Luang District, Chiang Rai Province, bordering Myanmar, to hide them in Mueang District in preparation for further distribution.

The Narcotics Suppression Police deployed forces to intercept the drug. However, the drug dealers abandoned the vehicle and fled. Police seized 5 million methamphetamine pills hidden in an abandoned pickup truck.

The second case involved a Lisu ethnic group that transports drugs along the border in Chiang Dao District, Chiang Mai Province, using pickup trucks and ten-wheel trucks. Officers observed a pickup truck unloading suspicious orange crates onto a ten-wheel truck in an empty area opposite a resort in Chiang Dao District.

The ten-wheel truck headed to the central region in the evening until it reached a gas station in Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya Province. There, a covered pickup truck parked next to it. Both vehicles then drove to a warehouse in Bang Bua Thong District, Nonthaburi Province. The police revealed themselves and searched the area, arresting four suspects and seizing 299 kilograms of crystal meth as evidence.

In the third case, a Hmong ethnic group in Tak Province was caught transporting drugs from the border of Mae Hong Son Province to deliver to customers in the surrounding area. Narcotics suppression police approached 3 suspicious vehicles parked on the side of the road. Upon revealing themselves, they searched the vehicles and found 500 kilograms of ice hidden in sacks covered with cloth in the back of a pickup truck.

The fourth case involved another ethnic minority group that transports drugs from Chiang Mai Province to the Central region. NSB police intercepted 3 Sing Buri Province vehicles heading to Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya. Five hill tribesmen were detained, and almost 1 million methamphetamine pills were seized.

Pol. Gen. Kittirat said from October 1 until now, narcotics suppression police have been involved in 166 drug cases, arrested 175 suspects, and more than 43.8 million methamphetamine pills, 2,757 kilograms of crystal meth, 28 kilograms of heroin, and 190 kilograms of ketamine has been seized, and more than 410 million baht in assets from drug dealers seized.

He said the information gathered from the drug cases is being expanded to track down and arrest dealers nationwide.

Pol. Gen. Kittirat said he had ordered police departments to crack down on drug networks and to intercept them along the border through checkpoints, strict provincial surveillance, and collection of information on drug resting points as the New Year festival approached.