Thai Police Seize 1.17-Ton Ice Shipment in Gulf Bust
Thai police, the Narcotics Control Board, and the DEA seized 1.17 tons of ice from the boat EAST HARBOUR 1 in the Gulf of Thailand, arresting six Thai crew members. The operation, named ‘Sip the Enemy, Crush the Sea,’ followed a tip that the vessel had picked up the drugs off Songkhla on October 4 and was intercepted on October 7. Authorities said the bust reflects the government’s intensified national crackdown on narcotics.
Thai police, the Office of the Narcotics Control Board (ONCB), and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) launched Operation ‘Sip the Enemy, Crush the Sea’ after receiving intelligence that the vessel EAST HARBOUR 1 was involved in cross‑border drug trafficking. On October 4, 2026, the ship left Songkhla province to pick up a shipment of ice in the Gulf of Thailand. Authorities tracked it and, at 00:30 on October 7, intercepted the boat, finding six Thai crew members — Captain Uthai, 39; Phonchai, 39; Amon, 49; Chaiyon, 65; Jattananawat, 45; and Mek, 66 — aboard. A search revealed 39 sacks and eight blocks of methamphetamine (ice) hidden in a secret compartment at the stern, weighing approximately 1,178 kilograms. The suspects and the seized drugs were handed over to the Narcotics Suppression Bureau for prosecution under charges of possessing Category 1 narcotics with intent to sell, which carries penalties for endangering public safety and national security. Police said the operation followed national drug‑control policies directed by Deputy Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul and involved coordination among the Royal Thai Navy’s Second Fleet, the Central Investigation Bureau, the Marine Police, and the ONCB.
