Chiang Mai – In less than six months, Provincial Police Region 5, together with the Pha Muang task force, have intercepted over 200 million methamphetamine pills moving through northern Thailand. Thirteen drug runners have died in clashes with Thai soldiers.
On Monday, Provincial Police Region 5 told a press briefing that from the start of the 2024 fiscal year on 1 October 2023 to 17 April 2024, police have handled more than 15,756 drug cases, with 119 of these classed as major cases.
Police and the Pha Muang task force seized drugs include over 124 million methamphetamine pills, 961.44 kilogrammes of crystal meth, 234.01 kilogrammes of heroin, 30.03 kilogrammes of ketamine, and 202.67 kilogrammes of opium.
Police also confiscated assets linked to drug crime, valued at about 312 million baht.
One of the latest large networks caught by Provincial Police Region 5 moved drugs through Lampang province. The route started at the Thai-Myanmar border in Chiang Dao, Chiang Mai, before heading through Mae Taeng, Mae Rim, Mueang Chiang Mai, and Saraphi districts, then passing through Mae Tha in Lamphun and several Lampang districts, with the drugs bound for Si Mum Mueang Market in Lam Luk Ka, Pathum Thani.
The most recent arrest was Mr. Issarayut from Chiang Mai. He was driving a pickup loaded with vegetables on Phaholyothin Road, passing through Mae Phrik checkpoint in Lampang. Officers noticed something odd, searched the vehicle, and found 18 fertiliser sacks filled with methamphetamine marked ‘999’, totalling around 3,600,000 pills.
Meanwhile, the Pha Muang military task force, responsible for northern Thailand’s border, reported 246 drug busts in the same period. They arrested 268 suspects and seized 95,856,085 methamphetamine pills, 145 kilogrammes of heroin, 7,141 kilogrammes of crystal meth, 22.1 kilogrammes of opium, and 355 kilogrammes of ketamine.
There were 37 armed clashes with drug gangs, resulting in the deaths of 13 offenders. If all these drugs had reached Bangkok, the estimated economic damage would have reached 22,020 million baht.
Drug smuggling in northern Thailand, particularly in the Golden Triangle region where Thailand, Myanmar, and Laos converge, is a significant issue driven by the area’s proximity to major drug production centers in Myanmar’s Shan and Kachin States.
The primary drugs smuggled are methamphetamine (both tablets, known as “yaba,” and crystal meth, or “ice”), heroin.
Northern Thailand, especially provinces like Chiang Rai, Chiang Mai, and Mae Hong Son, serves as a primary transit route for drugs produced in Myanmar. The porous borders, mountainous terrain, and the Mekong River facilitate smuggling operations.
The 2021 military coup in Myanmar has fueled drug production by organized crime networks allied with militias in Shan State, leading to a surge in methamphetamine and heroin trafficking. The UNODC reports a significant increase in synthetic drug production in Myanmar, with 2024 seizures reflecting unprecedented trafficking volumes.
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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.
