CHIANG RAI – Police in Chiang Rai recently stopped two major drug shipments, arresting two suspects and confiscating a total of 6 million methamphetamine pills over the past week.
On Friday, Police General Prajuab Wongsuk, Deputy Commissioner-General, and Police Major General Manop Senakul, Chiang Rai Provincial Police Chief, led a team in announcing the details of the arrests.
The first case involved a joint effort between several district police stations and investigation units. Officers arrested Mr. Aso, 26, from Mae Fa Luang district, and Mr. Atue, who has no surname, with 4 million methamphetamine pills found in their car.
Police received a tip-off on 31 May about a plan to smuggle drugs through the Thai-Myanmar border in Mae Fa Luang district using a black Honda CR-V. Officers tracked the vehicle to a public road in Ban Pang Lao, Ban Du sub-district.
When police moved in, the two men tried to drive into the officers’ car but lost control, crashing into a canal near Mae Fah Luang Airport.
Mr. Atue then got out, holding what looked like a gun, and pointed it at the police. Police Sergeant Major Pathompong Khueankaew fired at his leg to stop him. Both men tried to run but were caught about 200 metres away. Inside their vehicle, police found 20 sacks, each holding 200,000 meth pills, totalling 4 million pills.
The second operation took place on 3 June. Ranger Unit 3106, Pa Muang Task Force Chiang Rai, Mae Chan Police, and other units learned of another shipment coming from the Myanmar border.
They were told that drugs were being stored at a lychee farm in Kiw Satai, Pa Tung sub-district, Chiang Rai. Officers acted on a report about a suspicious motorbike seen in the area. They found 10 sacks hidden in a banana grove, with a total of 2 million meth pills.
All seized drugs were handed over to authorities for legal action.
Police General Prajuab said these cases highlight the value of public cooperation. Timely information from residents helped officers stop the drugs before they reached further into the country. Chiang Rai often faces risks from cross-border drug trafficking.
Close teamwork between police units and the community is key to stopping these shipments.
Drug trafficking in the Golden Triangle, where Thailand’s Chiang Rai province borders Myanmar and Laos, is a major issue, driven largely by methamphetamine production in Myanmar’s Shan State.
The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) reports that in 2024, a record 236 tons of methamphetamine were seized in East and Southeast Asia, a 24% increase from 2023, with 94% of seizures in Southeast Asia, primarily from Shan State.
This surge is fueled by Myanmar’s ongoing conflict and governance issues, enabling criminal networks and armed groups to operate with impunity in remote, porous border areas.
Shan State is the epicentre of methamphetamine production, with groups like the Sam Gor syndicate, led by Tse Chi Lop, reportedly earning up to $8 billion annually. The region’s instability, exacerbated by Myanmar’s civil war since 2021, allows militias and transnational crime groups to thrive, using drug profits to fund conflict.
