CHIANG RAI – On Tuesday, police announced the results of a month-long drug impression crackdown at the Narcotics Suppression Bureau in Chiang Rai. Senior officers, including Pol Gen Prachuap Wongsuk and Pol Lt Gen Samran Nualma, shared details of nine separate cases.
Pol Gen Prachuap told reporters that the crackdown led to the arrest of 22 suspects and the seizure of 14 vehicles. Officers confiscated a massive quantity of drugs: 31.8 million methamphetamine pills, 1,105 kilogrammes of crystal meth and 173 kilogrammes of heroin.
Case 1: Heroin Smuggled in Modified Pickup
On 6 June, officers from the Narcotics Suppression Bureau in Chiang Rai arrested two suspects at a garage in Ngao District, Lampang. The suspects were found with 173 kilogrammes of heroin hidden in a secret compartment in a pickup truck.
The police had tracked the vehicle from Mae Sai, Chiang Rai, after noticing suspicious movements near the border. The heroin was packed into 460 bricks and concealed beneath the truck bed.
Case 2: Five Million Meth Pills Seized in Chiang Rai
On 14 June, three people were arrested on a road near Suan Dok intersection in Chiang Rai. Police had been monitoring a group moving drugs from Mae Ai, Chiang Mai, to Chiang Rai town.
Officers stopped a vehicle and found 5 million meth pills hidden behind the driver’s seat. Further investigation led police to a lorry parked nearby, where a third suspect was apprehended. All three were taken in for further legal action.
Case 3: 13 Million Meth Pills Found Abandoned
On 17 June, police in Chiang Mai discovered 13 million meth pills left on the side of a road in San Sai District. Officers acted on a tip-off about large quantities of drugs being stored in the area, likely waiting to be moved to Bangkok. They found 65 sacks of meth pills but no suspects at the scene. The drugs were seized, and investigators are working to track down those involved.
Case 4: More Meth Pills Intercepted in Chiang Mai
On 24 June, two suspects were caught with another 5 million meth pills near a local hospital in Mae Taeng District, Chiang Mai. Police had been watching the group since they left Wiang Haeng, a border district.
Officers spotted a pickup truck with a heavy load, followed by a motorcycle. Both vehicles were stopped and searched, leading to the arrests and seizure of the drugs.
Other Significant Arrests and Seizures
Police also shared details of several other cases:
- On 7 June, five suspects were arrested after officers found 500 kilogrammes of crystal meth hidden on a bus at Mor Chit bus terminal in Bangkok. The drugs had been transported from Nong Khai in a grey car, then handed over to the bus operators. The suspects were tracked and arrested at the scene.
- On 9 June, two suspects were caught with 200 kilogrammes of crystal meth in Pathum Thani. The drugs had been moved from Nakhon Phanom in two cars. Police had received a tip-off and stopped the vehicles at a petrol station, where they found the drugs and arrested the drivers.
- On 15 June, six people were detained with 4 million meth pills in two vehicles. The drugs were smuggled from Nakhon Phanom to Saraburi, with officers intercepting the suspects at a petrol station in Nakhon Ratchasima. Four more suspects, who came to collect the shipment, were also apprehended.
- On 16 June, police arrested a man driving a lorry with 4.8 million meth pills. The suspect had collected the drugs in Bangkok and was driving south on Phetkasem Road. Officers stopped the lorry in Hua Hin, found the drugs in the truck bed, and arrested the driver.
Police stated that these arrests are part of ongoing efforts to disrupt major drug smuggling networks across the country. All suspects and evidence have been handed over for prosecution.
