Thai police seize 10 million meth pills worth 300 million baht

A major drug trafficking operation was thwarted when Thai police in Thailand’s Region 1 arrested two suspects for smuggling an estimated 10 million methamphetamine pills, with a market value of around 300 million baht.

The illicit haul was ingeniously concealed within a cement truck’s drum, highlighting the lengths to which drug syndicates will go to transport their contraband. The arrests took place yesterday, March 17, as the result of a meticulous investigation that began with a significant drug bust in Pathum Thani province.

The two apprehended individuals, 33 year old Wasan and 30 year old Yospol. They were reportedly transporting the drugs from the northern region to central Thailand. Their arrest is the culmination of a coordinated effort between the police’s anti-drug task force and military intelligence from the Special Operation Unit.

The suspects were using a white Hino cement truck to move the drugs and a white Honda Jazz car to reconnoitre the route and avoid police checkpoints.

During the operation, the police seized not only the drugs but also the vehicles used in the illicit activity and a 9mm handgun loaded with 14 rounds of ammunition. Wasan confessed to driving the drugs from Phayao province to a recipient in Saraburi province, for which he would be paid 300,000 baht.

Yospol, his accomplice, would receive a fee of 10,000 baht. The charges brought against them include possession of a Type 1 narcotic (methamphetamine) with intent to sell and unauthorized possession and carrying of a firearm in a public place.

This successful bust represents a significant blow to the drug trade in the region, preventing a large quantity of narcotics from reaching the streets. The police intend to further investigate the network, targeting customers, commanders, and related assets, employing measures against complicity, aiding and abetting, money laundering, and asset forfeiture as part of their ongoing campaign against drug trafficking.