Troops Seize 1.8 Million Meth Pills After Clash in Chiang Dao

Pictures courtesy of SiamRath 

Soldiers from the Pha Muang Task Force seized 1.8 million methamphetamine pills, grenades and ammunition after a late-night clash with an armed drug-smuggling group in Chiang Dao district, Chiang Mai, on 8 December 2025. The confrontation occurred after patrol teams intercepted a group of suspected smugglers near the Nong Kalang crossing in Muang Na. No soldiers were injured, while the suspects used the dark conditions to escape into surrounding forest.

Earlier that day, the 2nd Cavalry Company of the Pha Daeng Control Command, under the Chaiyanupap Special Task Force, had been alerted to the presence of 7–8 individuals moving through the border area. Patrols were deployed around Ban Arunothai in Muang Na to prevent drug trafficking under the Narcotics Code BE 2564. During a night operation, officers later encountered a larger group of around 20–25 people carrying green backpacks.

Troops signaled for the group to stop for a search, but they were met with gunfire from unidentified weapons, prompting a firefight that lasted about five minutes. The smugglers fled using the limited visibility and their familiarity with the terrain. Additional patrol teams were deployed to secure the area and sweep for abandoned contraband.

At the scene, soldiers found 18 backpacks containing a total of 1,800,000 methamphetamine tablets, two hand grenades, a mobile phone and a magazine loaded with 13 rounds. Major General Satit Wainont, Commander of the Pha Muang Force and Director of its Narcotics Suppression Operations Centre, assigned Colonel Dechathorn Saiyut, Deputy Commander of the Chaiyanupap Task Force, to join relevant agencies at the site to brief the media on the seizure. All evidence has since been transferred to Chiang Dao Police Station for legal proceedings.

SiamRath reported that officials also released updated narcotics suppression statistics covering 1 October 2025 to the present. During this period, the task force carried out 125 interdiction operations, arresting 120 suspects and seizing 71,032,557 methamphetamine pills, 1.2 kilograms of heroin, 899 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine, and 1.54 kilograms of opium. Eighteen armed clashes occurred in total, resulting in eight deaths among smuggling groups. Authorities estimate that if the seized drugs had reached Bangkok, their street value would have caused economic damage amounting to 11,555.1 million baht.

Key Takeaways

• A Pha Muang Task Force patrol seized 1.8 million methamphetamine pills after a shootout with traffickers in Chiang Dao, Chiang Mai.

• Suspects fled into the forest, leaving grenades, ammunition, and 18 drug-filled backpacks at the scene.

• The task force reports major narcotics suppression results this year, including over 71 million meth pills seized.

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 Adapted   by   Asean Now from  Siamrath  2025-12-09