Police from the Investigation Division, Metropolitan Police Division 8, together with Nong Pling Police Station, arrested a man transporting 150 kilograms of ice concealed in a secret compartment under the roof of a van. He confessed to transporting drugs in Chiang Rai province and receiving 150,000 baht per trip.
At 12:00 on 21 Feb 2026 GMT+7, at the Investigation Division, Metropolitan Police Division 8, Pol. Maj. Gen. Surachet Bandit, Commander of Division 8, held a press conference. Pol. Col. Chotchuang Rasamee, Chief of Investigation Division 8, along with officers from the division and Pol. Col. Wiriya Bandit Sathitsuwachati, Chief of Nong Pling Police Station, announced the arrest of Mr. Warayut or "Chef" Buabuth, 41, a resident of Pak Tha Subdistrict, Tha Ruea District, Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya Province.
Seized were 150 kilograms of ice drugs found in a secret compartment under the roof of a bronze silver Toyota Commuter van, license plate NJ6842 Chiang Mai, along with two mobile phones. The arrest took place near the traffic police booth at Nong Pling Police Station, Nakhon Sawan Ok Subdistrict, Mueang District, Nakhon Sawan Province, at 16:00 on 19 February.
This follows orders from Pol. Maj. Gen. Surachet Bandit, Commander of Division 8, directing 11 police stations under his command, along with Investigation Division 8, to rigorously implement drug network crackdowns as per police leadership policy, including expanding arrests of small-scale dealers in their areas. Intelligence revealed a large drug network smuggling drugs into inner Bangkok.
The investigation found a major drug network in Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya Province involved in transporting drugs by driving vehicles to northern Thailand, then distributing to smaller dealers in central regions, Bangkok, and surrounding provinces. One individual in this network was identified as Mr. Warayut Buabuth, whose activities had been monitored continuously.
Later, authorities learned the suspect drove the van to Chiang Rai province to collect drugs and was transporting them back to central Thailand.
The arrest team positioned themselves at the Chiraprawat Camp intersection, Nakhon Sawan Ok Subdistrict, Mueang District, Nakhon Sawan Province. They spotted the van passing through the intersection and followed it. The van was stopped at a traffic checkpoint by Nong Pling traffic police due to overdue annual tax. The suspect got out to pay the fine at the traffic booth. A search revealed a secret compartment under the van's roof containing white crystalline ice drugs packaged in red tea bags with Chinese characters, wrapped in clear plastic: 45 bags weighing 45 kilograms.
Because the secret compartment was tightly welded steel, cutting and prying tools were needed. The arrest team took the suspect and the van to the Investigation Division, Metropolitan Police Division 8, to use tools to open the steel, uncovering another 105 bags weighing 105 kilograms.
Mr. Warayut confessed he was transporting drugs from Chiang Rai under orders from superiors and was paid about 150,000 baht each time for the transportation.
He was charged with "distribution by possession for sale of Category 1 narcotics (ice or methamphetamine) without authorization, conducted for commercial purposes causing spread among the public, which affects state security and public safety." He was handed over to the Narcotics Suppression Bureau investigators for legal proceedings.