CHIANG MAI – Narcotics Suppression Police report a joint team raided a rented warehouse in Mae Rim and arrested an entire drug-trafficking group on the spot. The operation led to the seizure of nearly 14 million methamphetamine pills, believed to be part of a major shipment moved from the Chiang Rai border area and stored temporarily before being sent onward.
Officials from Police Region 5 worked with Chiang Mai Provincial Investigation officers, Mae Rim Police, the Office of the Narcotics Control Board (ONCB) Region 5, and military personnel. They searched a rental house and warehouse in Village 1, San Pong Subdistrict, Mae Rim District, Chiang Mai.
Investigators acted after receiving information from a confidential source. The tip said a group was transporting a large quantity of drugs from the border area of Chiang Rai Province. According to the report, the network used the Mae Rim warehouse as a waiting point, then planned to hide the drugs inside agricultural shipments headed to customers in central Thailand.
After tracking the suspects, officers moved in on March 12, 2026. The team identified themselves, surrounded the property, and searched the warehouse.
Police Caught Suspects While Repacking Drugs
Inside, officers found seven suspects allegedly repacking meth pills. They were seen removing the pills from sacks and sorting them into cardboard boxes. Some of the pills were also piled on the floor.
The suspects arrested were:
- Chatchai, 33
- Laosang, 50
- Praphan, 39
- Hatsadin, 21
- Meng, 21
- Chumphon, 31
(All six listed above are from Bo Kaeo Subdistrict, Samoeng District, Chiang Mai) - Tawan, 40 (from Mae Na Subdistrict, Chiang Dao District, Chiang Mai)
Officers seized methamphetamine pills packed in small bags of 200 pills each, bundled into sets of 10 bags (about 2,000 pills per bundle). In total, they reported 6,995 bundles, or about 13,990,000 pills.
Police also seized 12 mobile phones with SIM cards.
After the arrests, officers recorded the seizure, documented the suspects’ details, and transferred the suspects and evidence to investigators at Mae Rim Police Station for prosecution.
Authorities said they will expand the investigation to identify others involved in the network. They also plan to examine phone data, financial accounts, and related locations, with a focus on tracing organizers and moving to freeze assets connected to the case.
Police Region 5 Commander Lt. Gen. Kritthaphon Yeesakorn and partner agencies are expected to hold a press briefing on the case.
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