CHIANG RAI – The secretary-general of the Office of the Narcotics Control Board (ONCB) led a team to receive two high-profile drug traffickers who had outstanding arrest warrants and a combined bounty of over 2.5 million baht at the Mae Sai-Myanmar border in Chiang Rai.
This move highlights the growing cooperation between Thailand and Myanmar in fighting cross-border drug crime.
On July 16, 2025, Police Lieutenant General Panurat Lakboon, ONCB Secretary-General, along with Mr. Prasong La-on (Deputy Governor of Chiang Rai), Mr. Apikit Chorojprasert (Deputy ONCB Secretary-General), Mr. Pran Mekhanan (Director of Drug Suppression Bureau), and Police Major General Manop Senakul (Chiang Rai Provincial Police Commander), led a special task force to take custody of two suspects wanted on drug charges.
The suspects, Techin Nowong and Chamang Kantawong, were both considered key players in international drug trafficking. After being issued warrants, they fled to Tachileik in Myanmar. They were handed over at the Second Thai-Myanmar Friendship Bridge connecting Mae Sai and Tachileik.
Techin and Chamang fled to Myanmar
The arrest of these two suspects was made possible by close collaboration between Thai and Myanmar drug enforcement agencies. The ONCB received strong support from Myanmar’s Central Committee for Drug Abuse Control (CCDAC) to track down the fugitives.
CCDAC shared information about their hideouts, leading to their capture, which shows real progress from the two countries working together.
According to Police Lieutenant General Panurat, Techin and Chamang acted as organizers in a drug network, sourcing narcotics from neighbouring countries and using Thai couriers to bring drugs further into Thailand.
Officers gathered evidence from a case where three suspects were caught with 154 kilograms of heroin hidden in a van on October 22, 2024. This led to the discovery that Techin was the mastermind, with Chamang and another associate, Parkpoom, involved.
On February 15, 2025, the ONCB and partner agencies arrested three more suspects with 500 kilograms of crystal meth and issued warrants for five more people, including Techin.
The ONCB and its partners widened their efforts against Techin’s network on March 5, 2025, during an operation targeting 10 sites across six provinces: Chiang Rai, Chiang Mai, Suphanburi, Ang Thong, Sukhothai, and Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya.
They aimed to arrest Techin, Chamang, and Parkpoom. Police caught Parkpoom and seized assets worth 80 million baht, including property, cars, gold, and money in bank accounts.
ONCB Seized Drugs
After arrest warrants were issued, Techin and Chamang fled to Myanmar but continued to run the drug operation, directing shipments into Thailand. ONCB listed both as targets under its annual campaign for major drug suspects, offering a total bounty of 2.5 million baht.
On July 1, 2025, the ONCB Drug Suppression Bureau received information about Techin’s whereabouts. They contacted the ONCB liaison in Yangon, who coordinated with Myanmar’s CCDAC. Myanmar authorities carried out a raid at the suspects’ hiding place, arresting both Techin and Chamang.
Their handover marks a strong step forward in cross-country drug enforcement, showing the results that can be achieved when agencies share information and work as a team.
