Picture courtesy of วรศักดิ์ พานทอง Facebook

 

The Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA) intercepted a large smuggling operation, seizing more than six million methamphetamine pills destined for Thailand. The bust took place on April 30 in Hpa-An province, Karen State, Myanmar, near the Thai border across from Mae Sariang district, Mae Hong Son. Two suspects were detained in connection with the operation.

 

According to a KNLA insider, the interception stemmed from a tip-off received on April 27 by the 7th Brigade of the Karen National Union (KNU), which spotted a suspicious motorboat on the upper Salween River transporting the illicit cargo. The drugs were seized on the Moei River within the KNU’s operational domain.

 

The contraband originated from the Salween River with the intended destination of southern Mae Sariang, Thailand. Additionally, police at a KNU/KNLA checkpoint in Maneplaw confiscated more drugs that had been transported from Pasong, Myanmar, with plans to pass through Mae Sariang into Myanmar's interior.

 

These drugs were linked to an individual associated with the Democratic Karen Buddhist Army (DKBA) and the military council's network. This bust marks the fourth known smuggling attempt using this route.

 

Interrogation of the detained boat captain revealed that the drugs were smuggled under the guise of activities by an anti-dictatorship organisation, purportedly for the organisation's missions. This operation also led to the arrest of four individuals.

 

Initial investigations indicate that the seized drugs are tied to the military council. Typically, once these drugs reach southern Mae Sariang, they are swiftly collected by waiting vehicles for further distribution.

 

In response to this trend of smuggling activities being disguised as organisational missions, KNU/KNLA checkpoints along the Thai-Myanmar border have ramped up their inspection protocols to prevent further illegal trafficking.

 

  Adapted by ASEAN Now from The Thaiger 2025-05-01

 

 

Did the Karen's ask to speak to the manager?