A joint team of Thai anti-narcotic police and soldiers has seized 15 million methamphetamine pills on June 2, the largest drug haul in Thailand within this year.
During a press conference held in Chiang Mai, Thailand on June 3, the Thai police announced that the Thai anti-narcotic task force and joint team seized 15 million methamphetamine pills from 7,843 bags inside 74 rucksacks on a six-wheel truck and arrested two drug smugglers.
A Thai police general told the press that the drugs were being smuggled to a location near Bangkok.
The drugs were seized at a checkpoint in Mae Yen Administrative Village under Phan District in Chiang Rai Province.
Five mobile phones, a six-wheel truck used for smuggling the drugs, and a Toyota Fortuner vehicle have also been seized together with the culprits, according to the police official.
The Thai police claimed that the drugs were smuggled from the United Wa State Army (UWSA) at the Thai-Myanmar border, but the UWSA’s spokesperson U Nyi Rang denied it and insisted that it was a groundless accusation.
“Where is the evidence to make the accusation towards our Wa organization? We have questions to ask them. We are not denying them. If there is strong evidence, we will make the arrests. We haven’t authorized anyone to do this. I want to briefly say that all the accusations are groundless,” he said.
He pointed out that the Wa State authorities have made arrests on drug cases and given out punishments up to the death penalty and drugs are still very widespread in the Golden Triangle area.
He urged the Thai authorities to cooperate with them and find solutions together in a constructive way instead of blaming each other.
“Whenever they (Thai authorities) seized the drugs, they have always used the terms ‘they are believed to originate from the Wa area’ and ‘they are believed or estimated to be manufactured by the Wa group’. As far as we understand, the manufacturing of the drugs especially this methamphetamine doesn’t need much raw material. They can be manufactured like a homemade business. We can’t stop them completely in our Wa State. Drugs have also been smuggled across our territory. Manufacturing machines have been seized in Thailand, China, and Myanmar. This is a regional issue,” said U Nyi Rang.
The police searched a house in Chom Sawan Administrative Village under Mae Chan District in Chiang Rai Province at 8:30 am on June 3 in connection with the recent drug bust and seized three vehicles, two motorcycles, and some items.
The Thai anti-narcotic police seized 860 kilos of ya ice, also known as crystal meth, in the Golden Triangle area in northern Thailand on May 29 after they were smuggled from Myanmar border.
