Northern Thailand Police Seize 637kg Ice, 26.5M Meth Pills Using AI
Northern Thailand police announced the seizure of 637 kg of ice, 26.5 million meth pills and 10 kg of ketamine, using AI to track drug trafficking routes. The results came from nine major cases between October 1 and 13, leading to 11 arrests and the confiscation of 11 vehicles. Four highlighted operations included undercover work, checkpoint stops, and AI‑guided interceptions across Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Lampang and Phrae provinces.
At the press conference, police outlined four significant cases. In the first case, investigators received information about a drug shipment destined for inland areas, went undercover as drug transporters, and made contact with a man nicknamed 'Kae' who was directing the operation. Kae sent the location of a room in a dormitory in San Phra Neat subdistrict, San Sai district, Chiang Mai. Officers raided the room and found 287 kilograms of ice hidden inside, which they seized as evidence. In the second case, police at the Pu Kaeng checkpoint in Phan District, Chiang Rai, stopped a black Isuzu Mu‑X with a Chiang Rai license plate traveling from Chiang Rai toward Phayao. A search of the vehicle revealed 300,000 meth pills concealed in secret compartments throughout the engine bay, passenger cabin, and bodywork, leading to the arrest of the driver, Surasak. The third case involved the same Pu Kaeng checkpoint, where officers stopped a white Hino truck with a Bangkok registration carrying bottled water. The driver, Warawut, and passenger Pasaporn were found to have 350 kilograms of ice hidden in a secret compartment in the truck’s rear cargo bed; both were taken into custody. The fourth case used AI analysis from the Narcotics Suppression Board Region 5, which identified two vehicles suspected of transporting drugs from Chiang Rai through Phayao, Lampang, and Pae en route to the interior of the country. Police coordinated with the checkpoint at Huai Rai in Den Chai district, Phrae, and intercepted the two vehicles traveling in convoy. Inside the lead vehicle officers found 1.7 million meth pills, while the second vehicle, used for route scouting, was stopped after it turned back to the checkpoint. The occupants—Witsaporn, Pranom, Songkran, and Sirichaya—were arrested, and the drugs and vehicles were seized for further investigation.
