Thai military seize 1.2 million cannabis-tinged meth pills worth 100 million baht

A major drug bust occurred yesterday, when a joint task force of Thai military and law enforcement officials seized over 1.2 million meth pills, with a new formula containing cannabis, from a transit point along the Mekong River, Nakhon Phanom. Some of this haul was contained in sophisticated dehumidifying packaging featuring unique stamps. Sources speculate the drugs were intended for the entertainment market.

The enforcement agencies team yesterday, led by Rear Admiral Kasidi Klinsrisuk, commander of Nakhon Phanom’s Mekong Peacekeeping Naval Area, inspected the drug stash, first found by Lieutenant Thanapong Sudrak, Head of Tha Uthen Navy Station, and other key officials. In collaboration with the Surasak Montri Task Force, 120 packaged bundles amounting to over three bags were uncovered.

Forty of these bundles contained a new formula of methamphetamine encapsulated in dehumidifying plastic packages, imprinted with a Marijuana leaf and stamped with the English phrase DON’T WORRY BE HAPPY.

This product, unseen in previous seizures, features orange pills embossed with the character WY. The authorities believe these pills, which include cannabis ingredients, were bound for recreational use predominantly in entertainment venues and younger audiences. They estimate the total headcount to reach 400,000 meth pills, with a street price likely to range from 150 to 200 baht (US$4 to US$6) each. Further analysis and investigations are underway to trace the manufacturing sources and discern the preliminary ingredients used, reported Sanook.

The authorities also discovered a second type of meth pills stashed in 80 more bundles, hallmarked with a crown and the number 999 in blue. These Grade-A orange pills also embossed with WY, were expected to fetch a similar street price. Believed to be destined for clients seeking a high-end recreational experience, these pills, combined with the first batch, yield a combined value of no less than 100 million baht. The officials also seized a motorcycle present at the crime scene.

The action was initiated after the Nakhon Phanom Peacekeeping Naval Area received intel of a clandestine drug smuggling operation from a neighbouring country, taking advantage of the heavy and continuous rainstorm.

The drugs were found hidden along the banks of the Mekong River in Naam Kham New Development Village, Naam Kham Subdistrict, That Phanom District, Nakhon Phanom Province. Though the wrongdoers had fled the scene before their arrival, the enforcement agencies are confident of their identities and are actively pursuing legal action.

The increasing activity of networked local groups has led to ramping up measures to clamp down on cross-border smuggling and thwart the penetration of new varieties of meth into the Thai market.