CHIANG RAI – On Thursday, Police Lt. Colonel Suriya Singhamon, Secretary-General of the Office of the Narcotics Control Board (ONCB), arrived in Chiang Rai to inspect the area at the Second Friendship Bridge (Mae Sai – Tachileik) in Chiang Rai province.
He was joined by, Mr Suphot Saenmee, Chiang Rai Provincial Governor, Mr Warayut Khombun, Mae Sai District Chief Officer, Mr Khanitkorn Phapeeranon, Director of the Narcotics Suppression Bureau, Police Colonel Surasak Thienthong, Superintendent of Chiang Rai Immigration, Mr Waris Wisaratanon, Head of Mae Sai Customs House, Lieutenant Colonel Thanchaphat Sornthom, Commander of Phathomila Task Force, Task Force Thap Chao Tak, Mr Danucha Chaiwong, Director of the Coordination and Law Enforcement Division, ONCB Region 5, and Mr Suwit Singyu, Director of the Coordination and Law Enforcement Division, ONCB Region 6. Representatives from Chiang Rai Provincial Police and the Thai-Myanmar Border Liaison Office (TBC).
This mission focused on close cooperation between several Thai agencies. These included the Immigration Bureau, Chiang Rai Provincial Police, the Royal Thai Police, the Northern Border Precursors and Chemicals Suppression Unit (No. 35), Pha Muang Task Force, the Customs Department, and the Chiang Rai provincial administration.
These Thai units worked in partnership with international counterparts, in particular the Central Committee for Drug Abuse Control (CCDAC) of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar and the Immigration Police in Mae Sai – Tachileik.
Through this joint effort, the agencies shared intelligence and cross-checked information. This cooperation led to background checks and arrest warrant verification, which revealed the following details.
Group 1: Suspects with outstanding warrants in drug cases (2 persons)
- Mr Phonchan (surname withheld), 33 years old, from Uttaradit province. He is wanted under an arrest warrant issued by the Uttaradit Provincial Court on charges of selling and possessing crystal methamphetamine (ice). The investigation shows he is linked to the network of “Mr Phattharaphong”, a major drug dealer involved in supplying large shipments of methamphetamine pills, from 500,000 to 1.2 million tablets, to lower northern provinces.
- Mr Wirat (surname withheld), 37 years old, from Chiang Mai province. He is wanted under an arrest warrant issued by the Chiang Mai Provincial Court for dealing methamphetamine pills. He is accused of bringing drugs from a neighbouring country and distributing them in Chiang Mai and nearby provinces.
Group 2: Suspects in other cases and individuals with criminal records (2 persons)
3. Ms Thida (surname withheld), wanted under an arrest warrant issued by the Nakhon Sawan Provincial Court in a fraud case.
4. Mr Cherdchai (surname withheld), whose record shows a previous arrest in a drug case in 2010.
The ONCB Secretary-General expressed appreciation to the Myanmar authorities for their strong cooperation in tackling transnational criminal networks. This includes both narcotics offences and other serious crimes, especially efforts to dismantle safe houses used by foreign and Thai offenders.
He noted that this progress reflects the results of coordinated action between partner agencies such as the Royal Thai Police, Immigration Bureau, Pha Muang Task Force, the Northern Border Narcotics Suppression Unit No. 35, and the Customs Department.
He paid particular attention to Thai drug traffickers who operate at every level of the trade, many of whom have fled to neighbouring countries while still facing Thai arrest warrants. He also thanked all partner agencies for their joint work in narcotics suppression and in-depth investigations, which led to the issuing of the latest arrest warrants.
The Secretary-General stressed that all related agencies must continue to work together in a coordinated way and in every dimension, so that communities can be safer and more protected from the ongoing threat of illegal drugs.
