The mayor of Mae Sam Laep SAO observed the largest drug destruction ceremony on the Salween River bank after Karen KNU soldiers seized nearly 10 million methamphetamine pills from Shan State. They revealed the drug trafficking network changed routes, using the Salween River and hiding drugs in deep forests, preparing a large shipment into Thailand.
On 7 May 2026, Mr. Pongpipat Meebenjamas, mayor of Mae Sam Laep Subdistrict Administration Organization and director of the Mae Sam Laep Subdistrict Drug Prevention and Suppression Operations Center, witnessed the press conference and large drug destruction ceremony held by the Karen National Union (KNU) at Takhae Pu, Mue Traw town, Karen State, opposite Salween National Park, Mae Sariang District, Mae Hong Son Province.
The drugs destroyed were 9,930,000 methamphetamine pills seized early this year at Lek O Tha, along the Salween River. They were hidden inside oil jerrycans to deceive authorities. Investigations found the drugs originated from a production site in northern Shan State, transported through Karen and Kachin States using the Salween River as the main route toward Myeik City before being smuggled into Thailand.
Mr. Pongpipat Meebenjamas said his attendance demonstrated local Thai readiness to cooperate with all sectors. “As director of the Mae Sam Laep Drug Operations Center, we focus on proactive prevention. Although the SAO lacks direct arrest authority, we are the frontline in coordinating and reporting intelligence between communities and security forces on both sides of the border. Mae Sam Laep is a key trade relaxation point and important waterway, so we must intensify surveillance per government policy to prevent our area from becoming a transnational drug transit route.”
Mr. Pado So Kola Tu, secretary of Mue Traw Karen State (KNU), and Lieutenant Bukay, KNU border liaison officer, jointly stated that drug traffickers now heavily use deep forests as drug storage points and natural waterways along the Salween and Moei Rivers for smuggling. Intelligence reports indicate another large drug shipment is being hidden in border forests, urging cooperation from Thai authorities and local residents to closely monitor and report suspicious activity.
Meanwhile, Thai security officials analyze that the increased large drug seizures in border areas and inner provinces over the past year reflect a shift in trafficking routes by Myanmar criminal groups, increasingly using Karen State as a transit corridor. Such local-level cooperation is thus key to blocking this threat.