National —
At 10:30 AM on January 20th, 2025, Pol. Lt. Gen. Phanurat Lakboon, the Secretary-General of the Narcotics Control Board (ONCB), announced the arrest of five cross-border drug trafficking suspects.
Authorities seized 1,650 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine (ice) concealed in 33 cotton rolls at a warehouse in Bangkok’s Rat Burana district.
The operation, conducted on January 17th in collaboration with multiple agencies, revealed that the drugs originated in Africa, passed through India, and were smuggled into Thailand for transit to destinations such as Australia, South Korea, Japan, Taiwan, and Hong Kong.
A key Thai female suspect reportedly rented the warehouse and coordinated logistics, while four Thai teenage males acted as warehouse operators and company nominees.
Investigators uncovered explicit text messages detailing the concealment of the drugs in 33 out of 140 cotton rolls. Scientific tests confirmed the presence of drugs, turning samples orange during analysis. Authorities also confiscated assets worth 2–3 million baht linked to the suspects.
Pol. Lt. Gen. Phanurat noted that while this type of ice is not widely abused in Thailand, unlike cheaper pill varieties, the country remains a significant transit hub. He emphasized vigilance against evolving drug-smuggling methods.
This article originally appeared on our sister website The Pattaya News.
