Three arrested for attempting to smuggle 500kg of ‘ice’ to Nonthaburi

Three Thai men were arrested attempting to smuggle 500kg of crystal meth from Chiang Mai to Nonthaburi. The operation, linked to a Chinese drug boss, involved multiple arrests and asset seizures across Thailand.

Three Thai men have been arrested for allegedly attempting to smuggle 500 kilogrammes of crystal meth, or "ice", on behalf of a Chinese drug boss from Chiang Mai’s border to Nonthaburi.

The arrest of the three unnamed suspects was announced by Pol Lt-Gen Panurat Lakboon, secretary-general of the Office of the Narcotics Control Board, at the ONCB head office on Monday.

Panurat said the drug was believed to belong to a Chinese drug boss operating across the Thai border in the Golden Triangle area, extending into Chiang Mai, and was being sent to Nonthaburi with the intention of smuggling it to a third country.

The three arrests were made in Ta Kli district of Nakhon Sawan, Bang Yai district of Nonthaburi, and Chiang Mai. The arrest of the third suspect, who represented the Chinese boss in Thailand and commanded the operation, led to searches of five locations in Chiang Rai and Bangkok, as well as the freezing of assets worth 9 million baht, Panurat added.

Acting on a tip-off, the first suspect was arrested in Ta Kli at 10 pm on Saturday while driving a truck containing 500kg of “ice” packed in 20 sacks.

The truck driver said he was delivering the drug to a recipient in Bang Yai. The second suspect was arrested in Bang Yai at 5 am on Sunday when he appeared to receive the drug.

The truck driver also testified that he had transported the drug three times earlier since January and had been paid 100,000 baht for each trip. He said he took the drug from either Chiang Rai or Chiang Mai to deliver it to Suphan Buri and Nonthaburi.

Based on the truck driver's account, ONCB officials and police were able to arrest the third suspect in Chiang Mai for acting as the trafficking operation chief in Thailand.



Panurat said the latest bust followed seven months of investigations into the Chinese drug trafficking ring, after three arrests in July last year. At that time, officials seized 1,000kg of “ice” and heroin destined for Malaysia, Hong Kong, and Australia.

Panurat added that Thai officials were unable to arrest the boss of the ring because he was operating from the border regions of Laos or Myanmar.

He further noted that the ONCB would hold a meeting with its Myanmar and Lao counterparts later this month to discuss cooperation in cracking down on cross-border drug trafficking rings.

(2025/02/17-00:00)