Drug smuggling
- World News
US arrests 3 Thais, yakuza chief for planning to supply missiles to Burmese rebels
US authorities revealed yesterday that they have arrested three Thai men and a Japanese yakuza organised crime leader in New York City on April 4 – 5. The men are accused of trafficking heroin and methamphetamine, as well as attempting to acquire surface-to-air missiles for rebel groups in Myanmar and Sri Lanka. Takeshi Ebizawa, Sompak Raksaranee, Somphop Sigsiri and Suksan…
- Crime News
Food delivery riders arrested for allegedly transporting ketamine, methamphetamine
Two food delivery drivers were arrested in Bangkok for allegedly transporting ketamine and methamphetamine to customers. The suspects allegedly confessed to trafficking the drugs for two years. Prior to the arrest, officers from the Children and Woman Protection Sub-Division arrested nine people, allegedly while they were getting high off benzodiazepines. Officers seized over 420 pills of the benzodiazepine Flunitrazepam. During…
- Crime News
Man allegedly ingests 54 packs of cocaine to smuggle the drugs into Thailand
A man from Guinea allegedly ingested 54 packs of cocaine, weighing just over a kilogram, and tried to smuggle the drugs into Thailand. The Customs Department says the man underwent an X-ray which showed he had the drugs inside his body. The 44 year old suspect travelled from Nigeria to Ethiopia and arrived at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport on March 5.…
- Crime News
6.6 million methamphetamine pills seized after car chase in Chiang Rai
Soldiers arrested a drug courier carrying 6.6 million methamphetamine pills in the northern province of Chiang Rai early yesterday morning. One army general says the SUV drove through a military checkpoint at 2:30am. The driver disobeyed the signal to stop for a search. Soldiers at the checkpoint chased the vehicle, eventually catching and arresting the driver. They then searched the…
- Northern Thailand News
19 year old arrested for allegedly smuggling 2 million methamphetamine pills
A 19 year old was arrested for alleged smuggling of more than 2 million methamphetamine pills to northeast Thailand’s Nong Khai province from the Mekong River on Saturday night. The suspect is identified as Phayu Phikhawong and was recruited for 300,000 baht to deliver 2,164,000 methamphetamine pills, known as “ya ba” meaning “crazy drug,” from Phon Phisai district in Nong…
- Northern Thailand News
Methamphetamine, cannabis seized near Mekong River
Narcotics rangers seized smuggling convey of 104,000 methamphetamine tablets and 50 kilograms of what the Bangkok Post says was “premium-grade” dried cannabis (street name “brick weed”) from Laos across the Mekong River into Thailand’s Ban Phaeng area in Nakhon Phanom last Saturday night. The Ranger Company 2108 patrolling squads were on duty when the drugs were seized on Highway 212…
- Covid-19 News
FDA warns against smuggled Johnson & Johnson vaccines
In Sa Kaeo province in Eastern Thailand, the Food and Drug Administration is warning people to avoid offers of Johnson & Johnson vaccines that were illegally smuggled into Thailand after a patient apparently brought in a vaccine to a private clinic and paid to have medical staff administer it. The single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine has been approved for use…
- Northern Thailand News
4.6 million methamphetamine pills found on som tam vendor turned smuggler
If you like your spicy papaya salad with a little extra kick, a som tam vendor in Nakhon Phanom was arrested today with 4.6 million speed pills. The woman was apprehended when border patrol police in Tambon Saenphan searched her pickup truck and discovered 10 big fertiliser bags holding 4,622,000 speed pills. The woman told police she earned her money…
- Crime News
6,040 amphetamine pills seized at Bangkok airport, package en route to Isreal
In another drug bust at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport, 6,040 amphetamine tablets were seized from packages en route to Isreal. Officers searched 2 parcels and found the pills stuffed in the seams of sunhats. The packages had been mailed from Laos, according to Office of Narcotics Control Board secretary-general Wichai Chaimongkhol. “The pills were hidden in the seams of sunhats in packages…
- Crime News
Methamphetamine en route to Hong Kong seized at Bangkok shipping company
Police arrested 3 suspects and seized 10 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine stuffed in floor mattresses that were being prepared for shipment to Hong Kong. Over the past few months, Thai law enforcement has been cracking down on illegal drug shipments en route to other countries. The Seaport Interdiction Task Force searched a pickup truck shipping company in the Navamin area…
- Crime News
Narcotics Control Board announce recent drug busts, heroin and cocaine sent by mail
In Thailand’s ongoing crackdown on transnational drug trafficking, police seized heroin hidden in a photo frame in a package destined for Australia, and in a separate case, seized cocaine hidden in mascara tubes from a package sent to Thailand from Costa Rica. In the first drug seizure, 470 grams of heroin were hidden in a photo frame in a package…
- Northern Thailand News
Drug smuggler caught in Kalasin with 300 kg of marijuana
A police chase in Kalasin early this morning ended in the arrest of a suspected drug smuggler and the impounding of 300 kilogrammes of compressed marijuana. The chase took place around 2 am through the streets of the Na Khu district when police received a tip-off prompting them to attempt to pull over the car. The Chevrolet Captiva with Chon…
- World News
Large-scale methamphetamine production emerges in Cambodia during pandemic
During the pandemic, Cambodia has become a major base for the large-scale production of methamphetamine as drug traffickers workaround Covid-19 restrictions, according to the United Nations. Last year, during the pandemic, 170 tonnes of methamphetamine were seized by authorities in Asia, a 19% increase from the year prior, according to a report by the UN Office of Drugs and Crime.…
- Crime News
Justice Minister says Thailand is a major transit point in the illicit drug trade
Thailand is a major transit point in the transnational illicit drug trade, particularly crystal methamphetamine and heroin, with many routes destined for various countries, according to Justice Minister Somsak Thepsuthin. Due to the strict penalties for illegal drug production, Thailand is rarely used as a base to produce methamphetamine and heroin, the minister says. Most of the drugs are produced…
- Crime News
ONCB to investigate transnational drug trafficking operations with routes in Thailand
Following the news of the Thai national arrested in South Korea for allegedly smuggling methamphetamine into the country, Thailand’s Office of Narcotics Control Board is now investigating transnational drug trafficking operations with routes in Thailand. Thailand’s Justice Minister Somsak Thepsutin ordered for the investigation, advising authorities to investigate to see if drug traffickers in Thailand have been involved in operations…
- Crime News
Thai man faces charges for allegedly smuggling methamphetamine into South Korea
A 32 year old Thai man is facing charges for allegedly trafficking $12.1 million USD worth of methamphetamine into South Korea. The man was arrested earlier this month for allegedly smuggling around 4 kilograms of methamphetamine hidden in bags of protein supplements on a flight from Thailand to South Korea, according to Korean media. The man was allegedly paid 200,000 baht…
- World News
Meth haul on Thai cargo ship in Australia linked to Hong Kong drug trafficking boss
A huge methamphetamine shipment found on a Thai cargo boat docked in Sydney, Australia, is believed to be linked to a Hong Kong drug smuggling network. The haul, worth around 2.4 billion baht, was seized by Australian police earlier this month. According to a Bangkok Post report, Thailand’s Narcotics Suppression Bureau believes the shipment is connected to Hong Kong drug…
- Crime News
Crystal meth worth nearly AUD$100 million found on Thai cargo ship in Sydney
Drugs worth nearly A$100 million dollars have been found hidden in heaters and barbecues on a Thai cargo ship docked in Sydney. It’s understood the drugs were discovered inside electric barbecue grills and water heaters. 9News reports that the Thai vessel was intercepted by police officers at Sydney’s Port Botany, with the authorities searching 62 large cardboard boxes after inconsistencies…
- World News
Double truck driver bust yields 2.2 million meth pills, 165 grams of marijuana
Two truck drivers were arrested in a massive double bust where police seized a total of 2.2 million methamphetamine pills and 165 grams of dried marijuana. One truck full of meth was caught in the Nong Khai province on the Laos border, while the other driver was apprehended in Chon Buri province. Banglamung Police announced the arrest yesterday while working…
- Crime News
Immigration police arrest Frenchman on drug charges, 3 other foreigners for overstay
Immigration police arrested a French man who was allegedly involved in a crime network who allegedly smuggled cannabis, and arrested 3 other foreigners on overstay charges. Police say the crime network sold cannabis to foreigners living in tourist cities in Thailand. Officers say they suspect there are more people involved in the alleged smuggling operation on the Eastern seaboard, which…
- Crime News
Police seize 920 kilograms of cannabis smuggled across the Mekong River
In a major bust on the Mekong River, notorious for drug smuggling, border patrol police seized 920 kilograms of dried, compacted cannabis from a boat along the Nakhon Phanom riverbank, bordering Laos. Police were tipped off about a large shipment of drugs being trafficked across the Thai-Laos border. Police spotted a boat around 4am yesterday. When police moved in, men…
- Crime News
2 senior officers investigated over alleged drug trafficking involvement
The chief of Thailand’s national police, Suwat Jangyodsuk, has called an investigation into allegations that 2 senior officers were involved in a 2019 drug smuggling operation. The claims were made during last week’s censure debate, when opposition politicians alleged that a police colonel and a lieutenant general played a role in the trafficking of 1.5 tonnes of crystal methamphetamine discovered…
- Crime News
Officials say Thailand being used as transit hub for ketamine smuggling
The Office of the Narcotics Control Board says Thailand is being used as a transit hub for gangs smuggling ketamine into the Kingdom from Taiwan and China. The drug is then destined for re-export to places like Hong Kong and Malaysia, where it can fetch high retail prices. However, use within Thailand is on the up too, with the ONCB…
- Northern Thailand News
9 arrests as police net huge drugs haul in 4 cases in north, north-east
Millions of methamphetamine pills, over 800 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine, and over 700 kilograms of cannabis have been seized by police in 4 separate cases. The Narcotics Suppression Bureau confirmed the seizures, along with the arrests of 9 suspects, at its headquarters in Bangkok. The parade of police and the seized narcotics are a staple in Thai police PR. The…
- Crime News
Millions of baht worth of drugs seized, hundreds arrested over 2 months
Just in the past 2 months, authorities have arrested hundreds of drug smuggling suspects and seized drugs valued at millions of baht, plus related assets. A total of 43 drug smuggling rings were busted. But apparently catching the criminals wasn’t easy as many of them traded items instead of cash for the drugs, making it hard to nail down evidence.…
- Crime News
Thai narcotics police conduct several raids, nab Nigerian lynchpin
Narcotics suppression police in Thailand have landed a huge drugs haul and arrested 17 people, including both Thais and foreigners. Speaking at a press conference held at Thailand’s Narcotics Suppresson Bureau, police say they have taken possession of 100 kilograms of heroin and over 500 kilos of crystal meth. In one case, code-named “Black Sasimi”, a total of 11 arrests…
- World News
Death sentence handed down via video call in Singapore
A prisoner in Singapore has been sentenced to death via a Zoom video call, the first time the city state has delivered capital punishment remotely. Thai PBS World reports that 37 year old Malaysian citizen Punithan Genasan was handed the death penalty as punishment for a 2011 heroin smuggling operation. Like Thailand, Singapore operates a zero-tolerance policy for drug trafficking…
- Northern Thailand News
Italian busted in Australia smuggling heroin
An 49-year-old Italian has been charged with drug smuggling after arriving at Perth Airport from Chiang Mai. He allegedly had about 300 grams of heroin, worth about 135,000 Australian dollars, hidden inside his body. After trace technology during a baggage examination showed positive for narcotics, Australian Border Force officers referred him to the Australian Federal Police for an internal exam.…
- Crime News
Minister pledges to sort out Thailand’s export procedures in wake of New Zealand drugs bust
PHOTO: www.chiangraitimes.com Following the seizure in New Zealand last month of shipping containers from Thailand packed with drugs, Deputy Transport Minister Athirat Rattanaset says the country must improve its maritime export procedures. He was speaking at a meeting with exporters, saying the drugs bust in New Zealand has had a negative impact on Thailand’s image and calling on them for…
- Thailand News
Thai-Australian singer “Pookie”’ to testify at September 17 hearing into alleged drug trafficking
PHOTO: YouTube.com Former singer Prissana or Priscilla “Pookie” Gemelli will testify at a hearing into alleged drug trafficking offences on September 17, along with four accomplices, one of whom is her husband, Cholawit Keetatrakul. A judge at Ratchadapisek Criminal Court postponed the hearing yesterday to ensure all defendants would be present. The 40 year old singer and her 49 year…
