Metropolitan Police Division 7 intercepted a suspicious pickup truck carrying 1 ton of "ice" hidden inside a pile of cabbage before flooding into Bangkok. Four suspects were arrested and confessed to having done this three times, earning 2-3 million baht per transport.
At 15:30 on 10 Aug 2026, Pol. Lt. Gen. Siam Boonsom, Commissioner of Metropolitan Police Bureau, along with Pol. Maj. Gen. Pallop Aermla, Deputy Commissioner, Pol. Maj. Gen. Teeradech Thammasuthi, Deputy Commissioner, Pol. Maj. Gen. Chaiya Phetpanya, Commander of Division 7, and Pol. Col. Atsadawut Kwanmuang, Chief of Investigation Division 7, held a press conference announcing the arrest of Ms. Charuwan, 44, Ms. Chai, 48, Mr. Charoen, 36, and Mr. Boonyong, 41.
Seized evidence included ice methamphetamine packed in tea bags inside 40 rainbow-colored sacks weighing a total of 1,000 kilograms, and two gray Isuzu D-Max pickup trucks with metal racks, both with temporary red license plates from Phrae Province.
This follows earlier arrests by Investigation Division 7 of three suspects with 8.99 million methamphetamine pills and 39 kilograms of ice methamphetamine seized in Nonthaburi Province on 8 March. Later, 8 million methamphetamine pills were seized from the same network in Lopburi Province on 26 July, but suspects fled.
Further investigations uncovered information about a major drug trafficking network smuggling narcotics from northern areas for distribution to customers in Bangkok and surrounding provinces. Investigators learned that the network used two brand-new identical pickup trucks to transport large shipments of ice methamphetamine from Chiang Kham District, Phayao Province.
The arrest team intercepted the suspects at 16:00 on 8 August near a gas station on the Nakhon Sawan-Chai Nat Road (inbound) at Tha Chanuan Subdistrict, Manorom District, Chai Nat Province, while they were transporting drugs into Bangkok. Ms. Charuwan and Mr. Charoen were drivers, while Ms. Chai and Mr. Boonyong were passengers.
Inspection of the lead pickup truck from the origin showed no cargo. The second pickup truck carried cabbage covered with a black tarpaulin. A search of the truck bed uncovered sacks of ice methamphetamine hidden beneath the cabbage. The suspects and evidence were taken for arrest documentation and further investigation at Investigation Division 7.
They were charged with jointly distributing Category 1 narcotics (methamphetamine or ice) by possessing them for sale without authorization, conducting business that spread drugs among the public, and actions impacting national security and public safety.
Upon interrogation, all suspects confessed to having done this three times, earning 2-3 million baht per transport. The drugs likely came through natural border routes, as the sacks were stained with dirt, gravel, and mud. They were then handed over to the Narcotics Suppression Bureau for prosecution.