Police Lieutenant General Natthasak Chaowanachai, Commander of the Royal Thai Police Headquarters, announced that highway police thwarted a teen gang transporting 8 million methamphetamine pills hidden in a covered pickup truck. The suspects confessed to delivering the drugs to central Thailand for a fee of 500,000 baht after police noticed suspicious behavior and trembling hands. They were arrested on suspicion.
At 2:30 p.m. on 1 April 2016, at the press conference room on the 2nd floor of the Royal Thai Police Headquarters, Police Lieutenant General Natthasak Chaowanachai, Commander of the Royal Thai Police Headquarters, along with Police Major General Pornsak Laorujiralai, Commander of the Highway Police Division; Police Colonel Man Maenyaem, Deputy Commander of the Highway Police Division; Police Colonel Sathit Samanphap, Superintendent of Division 5, Highway Police; Police Lieutenant Colonel Korakrit Ngamwongwan, Chief Inspector of the 1st Sub-division, Division 5, Highway Police; and Police Lieutenant Colonel Phichaya Thawichasri, Inspector of the 1st Sub-division, Division 5, Highway Police, announced the arrest of Wasaphon Saewang, 23, Jarukit Chamnakiri, 23, and Sombat Saewang, 24, along with 8 million methamphetamine pills valued at more than 400 million baht. The arrest took place at a PTT petrol station on the Asia Road between Tak and Kamphaeng Phet, in Nong Bua Tai Subdistrict, Mueang Tak District, Tak Province.
Police Lieutenant General Natthasak said that previously, officers from Mae Prik Police Station in Lampang Province arrested suspects with 2.5 million meth pills. Following this, an investigation revealed a network planning to transport a large batch of drugs from northern Thailand. Authorities monitored the route and spotted two vehicles—a lead car and a drug transport vehicle—traveling on Phahonyothin Road (Highway 1) entering Tak Province, then diverting onto secondary roads to avoid checkpoints. Police mobilized to closely monitor and intercept the vehicles.
Police Major General Pornsak stated that officers continued to search until they found two suspicious vehicles parked at a petrol station in Nong Bua Tai Subdistrict, Mueang District, Tak Province. The vehicles were a white Isuzu pickup truck with license plate Khaj 1655 Phitsanulok, and a bronze Isuzu covered pickup truck with license plate Bot 2757 Tak. When officers inspected the vehicles, the drivers were not found. Searching nearby restaurants, they found the three suspects sitting and eating.
When officers questioned the three suspects, all showed suspicious behavior with trembling hands. They were taken to inspect the vehicles, where 27 black sacks were found in the covered pickup truck's cargo area. Upon opening the sacks, officers discovered a total of 8 million methamphetamine pills hidden inside. The suspects were arrested and the drugs seized.
During interrogation, the suspects confessed they were hired to transport this drug shipment from Chiang Rai to be delivered in Ang Thong and Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya provinces. They were paid 500,000 baht. On the way, fearing the vehicle would run out of fuel and having not eaten, they stopped to refuel and eat before continuing. However, they were arrested by police at that point.
The suspects were initially charged with "joint possession of a Category 1 narcotic (methamphetamine) with intent to trade and causing its spread among the public without permission." They were detained along with the seized drugs and handed over to investigators at the Crime Suppression Division for further legal action.
Police Lieutenant General Natthasak added that currently, drug trafficking networks hire young people without prior drug-related records to smuggle drugs to avoid detection by authorities. This batch was known to be destined for agents in Ang Thong and Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya provinces. Authorities will continue to investigate to identify the masterminds and related networks.