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THAI authorities have thwarted an attempt to smuggle 1.8 million methamphetamine pills, worth an estimated RM14 million, into Malaysia following a raid in Tak Bai district on 1 November.
Commander of Thailand’s Fourth Army Region, Lieutenant General Naratip Phoyanok, said the drugs were seized near a house in Tambon Nanak, close to the Pengkalan Kubor border in Kelantan.
A special narcotics investigation team from Narathiwat provincial police launched the operation in a wooded area at around 8.40pm (local time) after receiving intelligence on a drug storage and smuggling network operating in the vicinity.
“Police received information that a drug trafficking syndicate was using the small forest area in Tambon Nanak as a temporary storage point before smuggling narcotics into Malaysia.
“During the raid, two Thai men were found at the scene with several black plastic bags containing methamphetamine tablets (Category 1) hidden in the forest,” he said.
Both suspects were arrested and 1.8 million pills were seized. The haul is estimated to be worth around RM14 million.
Naratip said initial investigations suggested that the suspects were part of a drug network based in Tachileik, Myanmar, which used parcel delivery methods to transport drugs into Malaysia.
“Thai police had been monitoring their activities through technical surveillance and intelligence gathering, which confirmed that the suspects were storing narcotics in the area,” he explained.
All seized drugs and the two detainees have been handed over to the Narathiwat Provincial Police Narcotics Suppression and Control Centre (NSCC) for further investigation.
“Police are now working to identify other members of the syndicate, including the main masterminds behind the operation,” Naratip added. - November 7, 2025
