Police seize 10 million meth pills being smuggled into Thailand

Police seized 10 million meth pills in a nighttime raid in central Thailand.

Officers stormed a suspected drug warehouse in Saraburi province allegedly used to supply narcotics to Bangkok and nearby provinces.

Suspected traffickers fled as cops swept into the makeshift shelter in the rural area at around 8:11 pm local time on July 24.

One of the men tried to hide in the tall grass but was immediately caught and detained.

Police said they arrested Komsan, 30, and Thanawat, 45, with around 9.56 million meth pills worth more than 500 million baht. They were charged with possessing and trafficking Category 1 narcotics with intent to sell for commercial purposes.

Investigators said the drugs had reportedly been smuggled into Thailand by a major trafficking network before being stockpiled at the property for distribution.

Police also seized three mobile phones believed to be linked to the operation.

The raid followed an earlier investigation into the same drug network, which allegedly used vans to transport meth from a major supplier to Saraburi.

Officers kept the property under surveillance before raiding it.

Police General Samran Nualma, deputy national police chief, said investigations were ongoing to identify other members of the network.

He said in a press conference on Sunday: 'As for the accomplices and the drug network linked to the two suspects, we have already identified them, but we cannot disclose further details at this stage.

‘We are currently gathering evidence to seek arrest warrants for the accomplices.'

Thailand has become a notorious hub for drug production and trafficking. In the north of the country, the ‘Golden Triangle' area shares borders with Laos and Myanmar, and has produced large amounts of opium since the 1950s but focus in recent years has shifted to the more profitable methamphetamine.

Officials believe most of the meth is produced in the Shan State of Myanmar before being distributed through neighbouring countries where prices are higher before ending up in the most expensive markets of Australia, Japan, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Singapore.

However, cracking down on drug production has been complicated by the influx of crime gangs from China and the Burmese civil war, which has seen the army take over the country - along with control of lucrative drugs chains.