Picture courtesy of Naewna

Bangkok Metropolitan Police have arrested a Thai woman identified as a key figure in a major cocaine trafficking network, seizing drugs, cash and assets worth more than 6.2 million baht, while separate border operations led to the interception of six million methamphetamine tablets in northern Thailand. The arrests mark a significant escalation in authorities’ efforts to dismantle large-scale narcotics networks and curb cross-border drug trafficking.

The main arrest followed the expansion of Operation “Chang Poon”, after police detained nine Nigerian suspects in the Nana area of Bangkok earlier this year. Investigators spent more than three months tracking the network before identifying a Thai woman, the wife of a Nigerian national, as a central organiser in cocaine distribution within Thailand.

Surveillance led officers to couriers linked to the network, resulting in the seizure of 27 packets of cocaine weighing a total of 33.51 grams, along with 95,000 baht in cash. Further searches of a vehicle and a condominium in Bang Phli district, Samut Prakan province, uncovered additional evidence and assets connected to the operation.

Police confiscated large quantities of cash, gold bars, gold necklaces, branded luxury goods, a van and a car, and froze bank accounts, with the total value of seized and frozen assets exceeding 6.2 million baht. Investigators also found detailed account books recording drug transactions over several years, including the names of numerous wealthy clients.

During questioning, the main suspect confessed to all charges, admitting she had sold cocaine for an extended period. She told police the drug was sourced through a network offering low-cost supply and sold primarily to high-spending customers, as cocaine is relatively scarce in Thailand.

On the same day, Border Patrol Police and military units under Pha Muang Task Force announced the seizure of six million methamphetamine tablets in Chiang Rai province. The drugs were discovered after a white van fled a checkpoint in Phaya Mengrai district on 23 January 2026, before crashing into a roadside ditch.

Officers arrested one male suspect at the scene and found 30 modified fertiliser sacks in the van, each containing about 200,000 tablets. The suspect and evidence were taken to Border Patrol Police Company 327 in Mae Chan district for further investigation and expansion of the case.

Naewna reported that Army Commander-in-Chief General Pana Klaewplodtook later visited border security units in Chiang Mai, instructing them to intensify patrols and coordination to combat transnational crime, drug trafficking and illegal border crossings in line with national security plans.

Key Takeaways

• Bangkok police dismantled a major cocaine network, arresting a Thai woman and seizing assets worth over 6.2 million baht.

• Authorities intercepted six million methamphetamine tablets in Chiang Rai after a high-speed chase and vehicle crash.

• Security agencies have pledged continued crackdowns on drug trafficking and cross-border crime.

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Adapted by ASEAN Now from Naewna 2026-01-27

 

 

Wow--just over an ounce of blow. Sure glad all those lives are saved. /s