Thai officials seize 1.6 million meth pills near Phamee border

Thai police recently arrested six hill tribe individuals for transporting 1.6 million methamphetamine pills along the Phamee border. This crackdown followed the restoration of roads previously disrupted by a landslide earlier in the month.

Yesterday, September 26, Major General Praphat Pobsuwan, commander of the Phamueang Task Force, assigned Colonel Maitri Srisantia, the task force’s chief of staff, and Colonel Natee Timsen, commander of the Thap Chao Tak Task Force, to collaborate with police officers from the Narcotics Suppression Bureau. Together, they seized the meth pills and detained the six suspects for further investigation and prosecution.

Military personnel from Company 3 of the Thap Chao Tak Task Force and officers from the Narcotics Suppression Bureau received intelligence about a drug smuggling operation planned between September 25 and 26.

The drugs were expected to cross the high mountainous border between Thailand and Myanmar, near Phamee village, Moo 6, Wiang Phang Kham subdistrict, Mae Sai district, Chiang Rai province. Acting on this tip, the police positioned themselves in the forested area near the border to intercept the smugglers.

The police observed approximately 10 to 12 men carrying modified sacks through the forest into Thailand, heading towards a landfill entrance. When the officers revealed themselves to search, the group panicked, abandoning their sacks and fleeing in various directions.

Out of the initial group, six individuals were apprehended, while the others managed to escape. The abandoned sacks, 11 in total, were scattered across the area.

Five of these sacks contained approximately 140,000 meth pills each, while the remaining six held about 150,000 pills each, amounting to a total of 1.6 million meth pills. The police promptly arrested the six individuals found at the scene, reported KhaoSod.

Phamee village had faced severe disruption earlier in the month due to a landslide that cut off access to the village. Local officials, including the Wiang Phang Kham Subdistrict Municipality, worked diligently to repair the damaged roads, restoring access just days before the drug smuggling incident occurred.