CHIANG RAI – On Wednesday, Maj. Gen. Pornsak Laorujiralai, Commander of the Highway Police, held a news briefing on a major drug-smuggling case. Police arrested two suspects, a 43-year-old man and a 32-year-old woman, and seized methamphetamine.
Maj. Gen. Pornsak said the case started after an earlier arrest at a checkpoint in Chumphon Province, where officers seized more than 100 kilograms of crystal meth. Investigators then expanded the case and learned that another vehicle tied to the same network was expected to move a large shipment through Southern Thailand again.
The arrest team set up surveillance at key locations. They later spotted the target vehicle in Nakhon Si Thammarat Province, heading toward Phatthalung. Officers moved in and stopped the car, taking the suspects into custody.
A detailed search found 1 million meth pills hidden under the rear seat backrest. Police brought both suspects in for questioning.
The male driver confessed, saying he was hired to transport the drugs from Chiang Rai Province to the southern border area.
He claimed he was promised 35,000 baht and admitted he had done the job once before. The female passenger denied all allegations, saying she was only traveling for a trip in the South and knew nothing about any drugs.
Police arrest suspect in airport cable-theft case in Chiang Rai
Also on Jan. 21, 2026, reporters were told that under the direction of Maj. Gen. Nattasak Chaowanasai and Maj. Gen. Pornsak Laorujiralai, highway police officers, worked with investigators from the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Division, Chiang Rai Immigration Police, and the investigation team from Ban Du Police Station.
The joint team arrested a 32-year-old man (last name withheld) from Ban Saeo Subdistrict, Chiang Saen District. He was wanted under an arrest warrant issued by the Chiang Rai Provincial Court. Officers arrested him at a rental house in Ban Du Subdistrict, Mueang Chiang Rai District.
The warrant stems from an incident in mid-December 2025. Security staff at Mae Fah Luang Chiang Rai Airport reported seeing two men in a pickup truck stealing electrical cable on the south side of the airport.
When security approached and identified themselves, the suspects left behind wire cutters and a large cable measuring about 65 meters, valued at about 39,000 baht, near the roadside. They then sped away. CCTV footage was used as evidence to request the arrest warrant.
Investigators later learned the suspect was hiding at a rental home in Ban Du. Police planned the operation and made the arrest. Officers also seized a modified .22 long gun fitted with a scope. The suspect admitted the firearm was his and said he was preparing to leave Chiang Rai that morning, but was arrested first.
Police said another suspect (identified only as “Mr. A,” a pseudonym) fled before the arrest, after sensing the situation overnight.
The suspect was charged with theft committed by two or more people at an airport, using a vehicle to facilitate the crime or transport stolen property, and a firearms offense for possessing a gun without a permit.
Police sent him and the seized items to investigators at Ban Du Police Station for legal proceedings, and said they will continue tracking down the remaining suspect.
