Crime Border Patrol Foils Motorcycle Smuggling Operation, One Arrested, Eight Bikes Seized

[Georgealbert]

 

Picture courtesy of Kaoded.

 

Paramilitary rangers from the 12th Ranger Task Force intercepted a motorcycle smuggling operation along the Thai-Cambodian border in Aranyaprathet district, Sa Kaeo Province. Eight motorcycles, including high-value models, including a big bikes and popular scooters, were seized. One suspect was arrested, while seven others fled into the forest across the border.

 

Acting on intelligence that a shipment of stolen motorcycles were being prepared for illegal export into Cambodia, officers from the 1206th Ranger Company, in coordination with the Burapha Task Force, set up an ambush along a known smuggling route behind Ban Noen Sombun village, a frequent hotspot for cross-border criminal activity.

 

During the operation, authorities spotted a suspicious motorcycle entering the area, matching the earlier tip-off. Surveillance led to the discovery of a group of eight motorcycles and riders, who were preparing to smuggle the vehicles across the border under the cover of darkness. Upon revealing themselves, the rangers attempted to apprehend the group, prompting seven individuals to abandon the motorcycles and flee into Cambodian territory.

 

One man, identified as Mr. Supachai Thamson 38, was apprehended at the scene. He later confessed that he had been unemployed and was recruited the night before via the LINE messaging app by a man known only as “Jay”. Supachai was offered a fee of just 200 baht to deliver a motorcycle to the border.

 

Supachai stated that he was instructed to collect a motorbike from a PTT petrol station in Ban Mai Nong Sai, where a vehicle had already been left with the key inserted. He then travelled to the rendezvous point in Noen Sombun, where seven other riders gradually joined him. The plan was to cross the border together at the same time, but the operation was halted by the ranger team before they could make their move.

 

The eight seized motorcycles:

 

• 3 x Honda PCX 160

• 2 x Honda Click 125

• 1 x Yamaha NMAX

• 1 x Honda Giorno+

• 1 x Kawasaki Z650

 

All had licence plates registered in various provinces, raising suspicions that they may have been stolen or part of illegal tax evasion schemes to fulfil demand in Cambodia, where such models are popular.

 

Supachai and the seized bikes were taken to the 1206th Ranger Company headquarters for booking and further investigation. The suspect has since been handed over to Klong Nam Sai Police Station, where authorities will work to identify the wider smuggling network, verify ownership of the recovered motorcycles and ensure their return to rightful owners.

 

Police are continuing their efforts to track down the seven escaped smugglers and the individual known as “Jay,” believed to be the coordinator of the cross-border operation. The case highlights the ongoing challenge of motorcycle theft and smuggling networks exploiting Thailand’s porous borders.

 

 

  Adapted by Asean Now from Kaoded 2025-07-09