Soldiers Find 70,000 Meth Pills Hidden in Tricycle Ice Box

Pictures courtesy of Matichon

Soldiers on patrol in Bueng Kan province discovered 70,000 methamphetamine pills hidden inside an ice box after stopping to help a tricycle, stuck in mud. The arrest was made in the early hours of 23 September, following intelligence of possible illegal activity near the Laos border. Three men were detained at the scene and later tested positive for meth use.

At around 01:00, Lt. Kowit Wongsaeng, commander of Task Force 2108 of the Surasakmontri Army, ordered troops to patrol Don Bang subdistrict in Bueng Khong Long district after a tip-off about cross-border smuggling. At 03.50, soldiers found three men, with the tricycle stuck and loaded with a blue ice box and fishing gear off a rural road in Ban Lao Luang village. Their suspicious behaviour prompted a search, which uncovered 12 packs of meth tablets hidden under white foam inside the ice box.

The suspects were identified as Mr. Ratchanon, 46, from Don Bang; Mr. Chom, 50, from Chumphon Buri, Surin; and Mr. Atthaphon, 24, also from Don Bang. All three were taken into custody and the drugs were counted in their presence. Tests at Bung Khla Hospital confirmed methamphetamine in their urine samples.

Two of the suspects, Ratchanon and Chom, confessed they had been hired by a man from Pak Kading, Laos, to transport the drugs to dealers in Seka district, Bueng Kan. They were promised 10,000 baht and a portion of the drugs for personal use and admitted they had done similar runs several times. Atthaphon denied involvement, claiming he had only been asked to help carry the ice box after fishing, though he admitted to using meth with the others.

Authorities documented the arrest with photos and video as required under the law. The suspects, drugs and related evidence were handed over to investigators at Lao Luang Police Station for legal proceedings. The case highlights ongoing challenges in tackling cross-border drug trafficking in the northeast.

Key Takeaways

• Soldiers in Bueng Kan seized 70,000 meth pills hidden in an ice box on a tricycle.

• Three men were arrested, with two confessing to being paid couriers for a Lao dealer.

• All suspects tested positive for meth use and were handed to police for prosecution.

Related Stories

Drug-gang-abandons-crashed-suv-with-450kg-of-crystal-meth

Troops-seize-43-million-meth-pills-after-border-clash/

  Adapted by Asean Now from Matichon 2025-09-24