Pha Mueang soldiers have 8 million methamphetamine after they transported by long boat across the Mekong River in Chiang Saen District of Chiang Rai. The smugglers were able to escape using the cover of darkness.
Gen. Narit Thawornwong, Commander of the Narcotics Interception and Suppression Command said the on July 13, 2024, were informed by the Pha Mueang Police Division that they got a tip-off that drug smuggling group would be transporting drugs into the area from the Lao PDR side, opposite Chiang Saen District, Chiang Rai Province.
Until 9:00 p.m., the Pha Mueang patrol team in Mae Ngoen Sub-district, Chiang Saen District, Chiang Rai Province, discovered 4 long boats moving from the Thai side, headed towards Lao PDR.
When they check the area they came across a group of about 10 suspicious people who immediately rang away in the cover of dark. The patrol then inspected the area they found sacks in black plastic bags. Inside they found category 1 drugs (amphetamine).
The unit informed their commander to send additional personnel to take control of the area.
At 6:00 a.m Narcotics Suppression police entered the area and seized the 32 bags of methamphetamine, each bag containing approximately 250,000 tablets, totaling approximately 8,000,000 methamphetamine tablets. The seized drugs were moved to the Kiew Thap Yang checkpoint, in Mae Chan District, Chiang Rai Province.
A senior army official told CTN News that armed ethnic groups are increasing their narcotics production and trafficking through Thailand in order to fund their battle against the Myanmar government’s soldiers.
The Myanmar armed forces took power from Aung San Suu Kyi and the National League for Democracy in a military coup in 2021. After the coup, armed ethnic groups joined forces to fight the government.
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