Police Seize 6.9 Million Methamphetamine Pills on Asian Highway

Picture courtesy of SiamRath.

Region 1 Provincial Police held a press conference on 8 September, to show how they have dismantled a narcotics trafficking operation, seizing more than 6.9 million methamphetamine pills hidden in a lorry travelling along the Asian Highway.

The operation was led by Pol Lt Gen Surapol Prembutr, Commissioner of Region 1 Provincial Police, alongside senior officers from Ayutthaya and Saraburi, in coordination with the Office of the Narcotics Control Board (ONCB).

According to investigators, the network smuggled vast quantities of drugs from northern Thailand into the central provinces, using modified vehicles to conceal the shipments before distributing them.

Police intelligence identified a six-wheel lorry, painted white and green, registered in Kamphaeng Phet, as the vehicle used to transport the drugs. The suspects disguised the lorry as a tree sapling delivery truck to avoid suspicion while travelling north to collect narcotics before returning south.

On 3 September, officers tracked the vehicle as it passed through Ayutthaya en route to the North. The following day, the lorry was seen returning along the Asian Highway. Officers shadowed it to Chai Nat, where it stopped by the roadside in Manorom district.

The driver, identified only as “Mr Cha”, appeared nervous and attempted to flee but was detained. For safety, the lorry was taken to a nearby petrol station for a full search.

Inside, officers discovered 6,918,000 methamphetamine tabletsconcealed in a specially modified compartment beneath the truck. The haul included:

• 4.3 million tablets wrapped in paper marked “L/AAA”,

• 1.4 million tablets marked “Y1”, and

• 1.2 million tablets marked “999”.

Mr Cha was charged with possession of a Category 1 narcotic with intent to sell, an offence deemed a threat to national security and public safety. He reportedly confessed and police are now expanding their investigation to identify other members of the network.

Region 1 Police reaffirmed their commitment to tackling the narcotics trade, urging the public to report suspicious individuals or vehicles linked to drug trafficking via hotlines 191 or 1599, available 24 hours a day.

  Adapted by Asean Now from SiamRath 2025-09-09