Staggering Drug Haul: 5 Million Pills Seized in Sakon Nakhon

Picture courtesy of Chakkrapan Natanri

In a major crackdown against drug trafficking, Sakon Nakhon police have seized an astonishing five million methamphetamine pills from a pickup truck in a rented warehouse in the Kham Ta Kla district of this northeastern province.

Acting on a search warrant, Provincial Police Region 4 investigators raided the site in Moo 16 village, tambon Kham Ta Kla, at around 2pm yesterday. Inside, they discovered a four-door Chevrolet pickup, with Sa Kaeo licence plates, containing 12 sacks of the illicit pills. The vehicle, devoid of seats to accommodate the massive load, was parked within the tightly secured warehouse.

Police Major General Phumphat Phattarasriwongchai, head of the region’s investigation division, stated the seized drugs, now at the Kham Ta Kla Police Station, have an estimated street value of 1 billion baht (approximately 30.95 million USD).

The operation was prompted by intelligence collected over the long holiday weekend, revealing a drug smuggling network transporting narcotics from the Cambodian border in Sa Kaeo into Thailand. The drugs were intended to be stored in Kham Ta Kla before being distributed further across the country.

Initially, the police suspected that a local resort or house was being used for drug storage. This led them to the rented warehouse, with cooperation from its owner, which eventually uncovered the illicit cache.

The warehouse was rented by an 18-year-old man from Sakon Nakhon, under the guise of opening a car repair shop. The owner reported the tenant’s suspicious behaviour after he paid two months’ rent of 2,500 baht (about 80 USD) per month but never opened the shop. Her vigilance and subsequent report to the police were pivotal in the investigation.

Following further investigation, police identified the suspect and confirmed the authenticity of the pickup’s licence plates, registered to an individual in Sa Kaeo with a known history of drug offences. The confiscated drugs and vehicle have been handed over to Kham Ta Kla police as they continue to investigate the network behind this significant operation.

This seizure underscores the ongoing challenges Thai authorities face in battling drug trafficking, particularly along its porous borders, and highlights the critical role of community engagement in disrupting criminal activities.

  Adapted by ASEAN Now from The Thaiger 2025-08-14