CHIANG RAI – On Friday, the Pha Muang Task Force deployed two patrol teams to monitor and block suspected drug trafficking. The operation took place near Ban Pha Mi Village 6, Wiang Phang Kham Subdistrict, Mae Sai District, Chiang Rai.
During the patrol, officers spotted around 10 to 15 suspicious individuals carrying modified sack packs. The team identified themselves and moved in to search, but the group opened fire with unknown firearms. A brief firefight followed and lasted about five minutes. No officers were injured. The suspects abandoned their belongings and escaped using their knowledge of the area.
The unit then sent two more patrol teams to secure the scene. At about 07:00, a search of the area found 11 modified sacks containing Category 1 narcotics (methamphetamine tablets). Each sack held roughly 200,000 tablets, totalling an estimated 2,200,000 meth Pills.
At 13:00, Maj Gen Sathit Waiyanon, Commander of the Pha Muang Task Force, assigned Col Suphan Roi Phut, Commander of Task Force Thap Chao Tak, as his representative to inspect the seized drugs with relevant agencies and provide information to the media at the scene. The seized evidence has now been handed over to Mae Sai Police Station for legal proceedings.
The Pha Meuang Task Force
The Pha Muang Task Force, a specialist unit within the Royal Thai Army, is on the front line against drug trafficking along Thailand’s northern border. A key focus is Chiang Rai province, where the border with Myanmar is hard to control and sits close to the Golden Triangle.
Working across steep, remote hills in districts such as Mae Sai, Mae Fa Luang, and Chiang Saen, the unit runs constant patrols and sets up ambushes based on intelligence. These operations often lead to armed clashes with smugglers trying to move methamphetamine pills, crystal meth, heroin, and other drugs from Myanmar’s Shan State into Thailand.
In 2024 and 2025, the task force reported major wins, including huge seizures. One fiscal period alone saw more than 175 million meth pills and around 9 tonnes of crystal meth, with an estimated value of about 36 billion baht.
Many cases involved firefights, with traffickers escaping into the terrain or being stopped on the spot. It shows how risky and relentless this fight is as authorities try to slow the flow of drugs into Thailand and onward to other markets.
Even with these results, ongoing unrest in Myanmar keeps production and smuggling alive. That’s why the Pha Muang Task Force remains a central part of border security in the north.
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