CHIANG RAI – The Region 5 Police Commander, alongside military personnel, local officials, and the Office of Narcotics Control Board (ONCB) Region 5, shared details on two major drug cases in Phrae and Chiang Rai.
Authorities seized more than 10 million methamphetamine tablets. Over the past nine months, there have been more than 17,000 drug cases in the region, with assets worth over 638 million baht confiscated.
The press briefing took place at the Region 5 Police Investigation Headquarters. Police Lieutenant General Kritthapol Yeesakhon, the Region 5 Police Chief, spoke with the military, local leaders and ONCB about the arrests from two separate cases.
In total, they confiscated 10,600,000 meth pills. The first case, handled by Huai Rai Police in Phrae, led to the arrest of one suspect and the seizure of 10 million pills. The second case, under Muang Chiang Rai Police, involved 600,000 pills.
For the first case, on 29 June, Huai Rai Police set up a checkpoint on Highway 11. They received a tip about a drug shipment being transported in a six-wheel truck from northern Thailand to the inner provinces. Officers stopped the truck with the registration number 70-4183, Mahasarakham and X-rayed it.
The driver, later identified as Mr Kamwang (also known as M), said he was transporting speaker cabinets from Nan to Lopburi. Officers found 10 million meth pills hidden inside 50 speaker cabinets, grouped in 50 sacks.
A urine test on Mr Kamwang came back negative. He was charged with possessing and intending to distribute a Category 1 drug (methamphetamine) with the purpose of selling and causing potential harm to public safety.
Police formally arrested him and handed him, along with the evidence, to the Huai Rai Police for legal proceedings.
The second case took place on 30 June. Investigators received a report from the owner of KEX Express, Rong Khun branch in Chiang Rai, who discovered four suspicious parcels, each packed with about 150,000 meth pills, totalling 600,000 pills.
Police collected the evidence and passed it to Muang Chiang Rai investigators to continue the case and track those involved.
From October last year through June this year, Region 5 Police handled 17,183 drug cases, including 178 major ones.
They seized over 169 million meth pills, more than 10,300 kilograms of crystal meth, over 150 kilograms of heroin, more than 1,740 kilograms of ketamine and over 79 kilograms of opium. Associated assets worth about 638 million baht were also confiscated.
