Eight Million Methamphetamine Pills Seized From Laos
Thai and Laotian authorities seized eight million methamphetamine pills in Chiang Rai's Thung District on August 1, tracing the shipment to Myanmar production facilities and a smuggling network operating through Laos.
On August 1, 2026, officers from the Narcotics Suppression Bureau Division 2, working with special forces from the 31st Ranger Regiment and security personnel, seized eight million methamphetamine pills in a forest area near Ban Sawwa village, Mueang Subdistrict, Thung District, Chiang Rai Province.
Investigations revealed the drugs originated from production facilities operated by a criminal network in the Ban Pun Ako area of Shan State, Myanmar. The shipment was transported to Muang Phong in Laos, crossed the Mekong River into Muang Tan Phueng and Ban Huay Sai in Bokeo Province, Laos, then smuggled across the Thai border through natural routes in Muang Yai Subdistrict, Wieng Kaen District, Chiang Rai. After crossing the border, the drugs were moved through Wieng Kaen District toward Ban Tha Charoen in Chiang Khong District, passing through Khun Tan and Phayamengrai districts before reaching Ban Sawwa in Thung District, where officials conducted the seizure.
Intelligence indicates the network belongs to Long Saeli, believed to be hiding in Laos. The operation uses ethnic minority smugglers based in Wieng Kaen District and Laos to transport drugs across the border. The seized pills bear a "999" stamp, a marking used by clandestine drug-pressing operations along border villages that source methamphetamine powder from Ban Pun Ako in Tum Muang, Shan State, before pressing and stamping the pills themselves.
