CHIANG RAI– Soldiers from the Pha Muang Task Force and local authorities in Chiang Saen seized ten sacks containing 2 million meth pills during a late-night patrol. It is believed a drug trafficking gang had transported the drugs across the Mekong River, hid them along the riverbank and left them there for someone else to collect and move further inland.
In the early hours of August 5th, a Narcotics Suppression Operations unit, in cooperation with the Pha Muang Task Force and administrative teams in Chiang Saen district, managed to confiscate a large haul of methamphetamine tablets.
Around 11 pm the previous night, officials received information that a drug syndicate would smuggle a major shipment across the Mekong River from a neighbouring country. The plan was to move the drugs along local roads, store them for a while, and then have another group transport them further into Thailand.
Katasit Nueangla, the Chiang Saen district chief, assigned Veerawit Rueangprasert, the district clerk, to lead a team from the Chiang Saen Volunteer Defence Company 6. They joined forces with military personnel to patrol roads near the Mekong River.
Officers later received a tip-off about a large number of fertilizer sacks hidden in the grass about four metres off the main Ban San Tat-Phang Daeng road, close to Ban San Tat, Village 4, Yonok sub-district. The location was about six to seven kilometres from the Mekong River. The authorities moved in to check the area.
They found ten sacks piled up in the grass, shielded by trees and branches. Leaves had been roughly placed on top to cover them. After removing the leaves and grass, they uncovered the sacks but found no suspects nearby.
Each sack held about 250,000 methamphetamine pills, totalling roughly 2.5 million pills. Officers secured the drugs as evidence and searched the surrounding area, but believed the traffickers had already fled.
All the drugs were handed over to the Chiang Saen police for further investigation to identify and arrest those involved in the drug operation.
Chiang Rai borders the Golden Triangle region, where Thailand, Myanmar, and Laos converge, is a significant hotspot for drug smuggling due to its proximity to porous borders and rugged terrain.
The primary drugs smuggled are methamphetamine (both pills and crystal meth, locally known as “yaba” and “ya ice”), heroin, and ketamine, largely originating from Myanmar’s Shan State, a major hub for illicit drug production.
From October 2024 to March 2025, operations in Chiang Rai led to 215 arrests and the seizure of over 77 million methamphetamine pills, 145 kg of heroin, and 7.14 tons of crystal meth.
Across Chiang Rai, Chiang Mai, and Mae Hong Son, seizures in the first eight months of 2024 included 346 million meth pills (a 172% increase from 2023) and 6.48 tons of crystal meth (39% increase). Heroin seizures also spiked, with 327 kg confiscated, nearly seven times the 2023 total.
