In Buriram, a 19-year-old man recently released from a juvenile detention center for drug offenses joined two others, totaling three men, to work for a Lao trafficker by collecting methamphetamine pills to deliver to customers in the area. They were ultimately arrested as a gang with 240,000 methamphetamine pills seized. The suspects admitted they did this to enable their friends to have money and free drugs, consuming no less than 3-5 pills daily.
On 27 May 2026, Pol. Col. Yutthana Traitip, Deputy Commander of Buriram Provincial Police responsible for drug operations, along with Pol. Lt. Col. Suwat Nammongkol, Deputy Superintendent of the Investigation Division and head of the Buriram Provincial Police Narcotics Suppression Unit, led officers from various units including Buriram Provincial Police Narcotics Suppression, Ban Dan and Thamenchai Police Stations, Border Patrol Police Unit 21, Border Patrol Police Companies 215 and 216, local administrative officers from Mueang Buriram and Stuk districts, military personnel from the Internal Security Operations Command, Task Force 26, Drug Suppression Unit 22, Suranaree Task Force, and Army Operations Center.
They detained three male suspects aged 19 to 31: Mr. Sirasak or Arm, 19; Mr. Wichai or King, 27; and Mr. Apiwat or Wan, 31. All are from Salaengphan Subdistrict, Lam Plai Mat District, Buriram. They were taken to recover additional methamphetamine after admitting to hiding 40 bundles, or 80,000 pills, buried in a paint bucket near the canal at Ban Salaengphan Pattana, Village 14, Salaengphan Subdistrict, Lam Plai Mat District, Buriram.
Earlier, officers arrested one suspect with a quantity of methamphetamine in Stuk District, Buriram. He confessed that the seized drugs were bought from a Lao dealer who enlisted Thai couriers to transport drugs into Buriram. The suspect cooperated with police to dismantle the drug network, arranging a sting operation to buy 10 bundles, or 20,000 pills, in Ban Dan District during nighttime.
At the scheduled time, the courier changed the drug handover location to Nong Tad Subdistrict, Mueang District, Buriram. Upon arrival, the courier said the drugs were placed near a village signpost, instructing the officers to collect them. Two young men were sitting about 200 meters away. Upon inspection, the pills were confirmed as methamphetamine. Observing suspicious behavior, police approached the two men, who fled into the fields but were later captured. They were identified as Mr. Sirasak or Arm, 19, and Mr. Wichai or King, 27. Both confessed to placing the drugs and led police to seize the 10 bundles, or 20,000 pills.
The two suspects also admitted that two other drug caches were hidden nearby for customers, and together with another accomplice, Mr. Apiwat or Wan, 31, they hid drugs near a pond and a hut owned by Mr. Apiwat. Police seized a large quantity of methamphetamine from various locations around the hut. In total, 242,000 pills were confiscated. The suspects were taken for further interrogation at the Buriram Provincial Narcotics Suppression Unit before being handed over to Mueang Buriram Police Station for legal prosecution.
When questioned, Mr. Sirasak or Arm, 19, said he was recently released from a juvenile detention center for drug offenses and returned to using methamphetamine with friends in the village. Later, a Lao man contacted him to collect methamphetamine to deliver to customers who had already arranged purchases with the Lao dealer. He was promised payment in both money and methamphetamine. Since he and his associates were unemployed and wanted money and free drugs, consuming 3-5 pills daily each, he agreed.
They had carried out the operation at least three times, each involving 50-100 bundles. A drug transporter would deliver the methamphetamine in Stuk District, Buriram, and the suspects would receive 2,000-3,000 baht each plus 2-3 bags of methamphetamine, each bag containing 200 pills, as payment.
Mr. Sirasak added that after receiving the methamphetamine, they stored it at Mr. Apiwat’s hut to separate and hide it at various locations, preparing to distribute it to customers as instructed by the Lao trafficker. They would divide the drugs, keeping some for personal use and selling the rest as payment. This provided them with some income and free methamphetamine, which, although not substantial, was steady and continuous.