Massive Meth Bust in Phayao: 2.8 Million Pills Found in Abandoned Car
PHAYAO, Thailand — Thai authorities have seized over 2.8 million methamphetamine pills after discovering an abandoned vehicle in a longan orchard in Dok Khamtai district, Phayao province. The major drug bust has led to one arrest, while another suspect remains on the run.
The incident began on Wednesday when the village chief of Huai Lan, Moo 8, alerted local police to a suspicious black Mitsubishi sedan parked in a longan grove. The car, registered in Lampang, appeared out of place and was suspected to be involved in drug trafficking.
According to officials, Border Patrol Police had been tracking the vehicle since it departed from Mae Chan district in Chiang Rai, a known hotspot for drug trafficking near the northern border. Officers attempted to intercept the vehicle, but heavy rain and flash flooding in the area hampered pursuit efforts.
Despite the challenging conditions, authorities closed in on the suspect vehicle as it sped off-road and into the longan orchard. The two occupants, a man and a woman, quickly abandoned the car and fled on foot into the dense forest surrounding the property.
A coordinated search operation was launched, involving district officials, local leaders, and community volunteers. After a period of searching through muddy and rain-soaked terrain, officers located a woman emerging from the woods, drenched and exhausted. She admitted to being a passenger in the vehicle, and was taken into custody without incident.
Police are continuing to search for the male suspect, who is believed to still be hiding in the forest or may have already fled the area. Tracking efforts are ongoing, with officers deploying additional personnel and search dogs to comb the terrain.
When police inspected the abandoned Mitsubishi, they discovered 14 large fertilizer-style sacks in the rear of the vehicle. Each sack contained roughly 200,000 methamphetamine pills, commonly referred to in Thailand as yaba. The total haul amounts to 2.8 million pills, one of the largest seizures in the province in recent years.
The woman arrested at the scene has been turned over to investigators along with the seized drugs. Authorities are currently questioning her to determine the extent of her involvement and to gather intelligence on the larger drug trafficking network believed to be behind the smuggling attempt.
Police believe this smuggling effort is part of a larger cross-border drug operation originating from the Golden Triangle, where northern Thailand, Laos, and Myanmar converge. This region has long been a hub for illicit drug production and trafficking across Southeast Asia.
“This seizure highlights the relentless efforts of our officers to crack down on narcotics entering our country,” one police official said. “Even in difficult weather and terrain, our teams are committed to stopping these drugs from reaching communities.”
Authorities have praised the vigilance of local residents, particularly the village chief who reported the suspicious vehicle, as a crucial step in the interception.
Further investigations are underway to identify additional suspects and trace the smuggling route. Police say they are working closely with anti-narcotics agencies across multiple provinces and border regions.
The suspect who remains at large is considered dangerous, and residents in nearby villages have been urged to report any sightings or suspicious behavior.
With Thailand facing increasing pressure from drug trafficking along its northern borders, this incident marks another chapter in the country’s ongoing battle against narcotics.
