Malaysians held with 87kg of ice on southern train

Three Malaysian men have been arrested after police found 87kg of crystal methamphetamine, known locally as ice, hidden in luggage aboard a southern train approaching Hat Yai Junction in Songkhla.

The arrests were announced at the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) headquarters on 7 August. Police said the suspects allegedly used the Bangkok-Sungai Kolok rail service to move drugs towards the Malaysian border.

Pol Maj Gen Sarut Khwaengsopha, deputy CIB commissioner and director of its railway crime prevention and suppression centre, joined officers and State Railway of Thailand representatives for the announcement.

Luggage found near carriage toilets

The operation followed intelligence that drug traffickers were using trains to transport narcotics. The CIB and State Railway had established the railway crime centre to improve passenger safety, and officers were instructed to step up patrols.

Officers inspecting Rapid Train No. 171 from Bangkok to Sungai Kolok noticed three wheeled suitcases lined up near washbasins and toilets in a third-class carriage as the train was entering Hat Yai Junction.

Police traced the bags to Malaysian national Mohd Iskandar bin Bujang. A search found 63kg of ice, packed in gold-coloured tea bags, inside the three suitcases.

Further investigation, based on his confession, led police to two alleged accomplices, Mohd Hasrulnizam bin Shamsudin and Enddy Anak Nabau. Officers also seized a further 24kg of ice concealed in overhead backpacks, bringing the total to 87kg.

Route from the border to Bangkok

Pol Col Anusorn Thongsai, superintendent of Crime Suppression Division 6, said all three suspects confessed that they had been recruited through Facebook and Telegram.

They told investigators they were paid 4,000 Malaysian ringgit each, or about 35,000 baht per trip, to transport the drugs.

Police said the men entered Thailand through the Sadao immigration checkpoint at Padang Besar, then flew to Bangkok and stayed at a hotel in the Huai Khwang area. They allegedly collected the luggage containing the drugs, took a taxi to Krung Thep Aphiwat Central Terminal and bought third-class tickets south.

The three men have been charged with jointly possessing a Category 1 narcotic, ice, with intent to sell, in circumstances alleged to cause wider public distribution and affect state security or public safety. They were handed to investigators at Crime Suppression Division 6, while police continue to seek alleged organisers and other network members.

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8 August 2026