19-YEAR-OLD TRANSPORTING METH PILLS BUSTED AT CHIANG MAI CHECKPOINT
CHIANG MAI – A 19-year-old man was arrested after authorities discovered 150,000 methamphetamine pills hidden inside his pickup truck during a routine inspection at the Pha Hong checkpoint in Chai Prakan district. The incident occurred shortly after midnight on Thursday as soldiers and police conducted joint security operations in the northern province.
The checkpoint, operated by the Pha Muang Task Force and Chai Prakan Police, had been screening vehicles traveling from border areas into Chiang Mai. Officers noticed a dark grey Toyota pickup bearing a Nakhon Pathom licence plate with a tightly sealed cargo container attached to the back. The vehicle was flagged for a closer inspection due to its unusual condition and direction of travel.
The driver, identified as Mr. Thanathat, 19, told authorities he worked as a delivery driver. However, when officers opened the secured container, they found four large plastic tubs. Inside them were 15 black plastic bags, each containing around 10,000 methamphetamine pills, totaling approximately 150,000 pills. Officers immediately took the young driver into custody for questioning and further investigation.
Separate Seizure of 800,000 Meth Pills
In a separate drug discovery the previous day, narcotics suppression officers received a tip-off that suspicious bags had been spotted in a pomelo orchard behind Kaeng Phan Tao village in Chiang Dao district. Multiple units, including the Joint Operations Unit (SPS.3), Taskforce Phamuang, and Chiang Dao Police, responded to the scene.
At the orchard, officers located four black plastic bags left under a pomelo tree with no individuals nearby and no one claiming ownership. Upon inspection, the bags were found to contain another large haul of methamphetamine pills, roughly 200,000 pills per bag, amounting to 800,000 pills in total.
Investigators believe the drugs were smuggled across the border by an organized trafficking group and temporarily hidden in the orchard while awaiting further transport. Authorities suspect that increased security along the Fang–Chiang Mai road, including the nearby Kaeng Phan Tao checkpoint, may have disrupted the gang’s movement plans, forcing them to delay retrieval.
Ongoing Crackdown in Northern Thailand
Northern provinces bordering Myanmar and Laos have seen continuous narcotics activity in recent months. The Narcotics Suppression Police reported several major seizures in Chiang Rai, Chiang Mai, and Phayao, reflecting heightened trafficking attempts by cross-border networks.
According to data from Taskforce Pha Muang, from 1 October 2015 to the present, officers have carried out 102 anti-trafficking operations, arresting 107 suspects and seizing:
- 47,547,114 methamphetamine pills
- 1.2 kilograms of heroin
- 845 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine
- 1.54 kilograms of opium
There were also 14 armed clashes with armed groups during these operations, resulting in 8 fatalities.
Authorities estimate that if the seized drugs had reached Bangkok markets, their combined street value would have caused economic damage worth nearly 7.98 billion baht.
