CHIANG RAI – Police detained two men on a passenger bus after discovering more than 100 bars of heroin concealed in their luggage, heading from Chiang Rai to Bangkok.
On 2 August, officers from Phan District Police Station in Chiang Rai set up a checkpoint at Pu Kaeng in Mae Yen subdistrict, just before the border with Phayao. They stopped a Chiang Rai to Bangkok interprovincial coach for a routine inspection late in the morning.
While checking between passenger seats, police noticed two men acting suspiciously.
Officers searched them and found nothing illegal on their persons or in their carry-on bags, but their nervous behaviour raised suspicion. This led police to check the luggage compartment beneath the bus.
They located two large suitcases, one belonging to each man. The bags were sealed unusually tightly and proved difficult to open, requiring a screwdriver and knife to force them open. Inside, police found heroin bars mixed in with clothing, 120 in total, weighing 60 kilograms.
The men were immediately arrested. The suspects were identified as Mr. Han, 26, from Muang Yai in Wiang Kaen, Chiang Rai, and Mr. Yee, 29, a Lao national. Both men admitted they collected the drugs from Ban Pa Yang Mon in Wiang subdistrict of Chiang Rai city to deliver them to a contact in Bangkok.
Police took both suspects and the evidence to investigators for further legal action and are following up on leads to find others involved.
Chiang Rai, located in the Golden Triangle region near Myanmar and Laos, is a known hotspot for drug trafficking, particularly methamphetamine and heroin, due to its proximity to porous borders.
Districts like Mae Sai, Mae Fa Luang, Chiang Khong, and Wiang Kaen are frequently used for smuggling, with drugs often hidden in postal packages or transported via the Mekong River. The ONCB has noted an increase in smuggling through private delivery services from Chiang Rai to southern provinces.
Thailand classifies narcotics into five categories, with Category I (e.g., heroin, methamphetamine, MDMA, LSD) and Category II (e.g., cocaine, morphine, codeine) carrying the harshest penalties due to their dangerous nature.
Smuggling, which includes importing or exporting narcotics, is considered a serious offence, often equated with intent to distribute.
Penalties for Drug Smuggling:
Category I Narcotics (e.g., Heroin, Methamphetamine, MDMA, LSD):
Imprisonment: 5–20 years, life imprisonment, or the death penalty for large-scale trafficking or involvement in organized crime networks. The death penalty is rare but remains a legal option, with the last known execution for drug offences occurring in 2009.
Foreigners caught smuggling face the same penalties as Thai citizens and may be deported after serving their sentence or blacklisted from re-entering Thailand. Extradition to home countries is rare for drug crimes.
