Phayao Police Seize Nearly 3 Million Meth Pills in Raid
Phayao Provincial Police raided a rented house near the Mae Tam intersection in Ban Tom Subdistrict, seizing 2.9 million methamphetamine tablets packaged for distribution via private courier services. The suspects fled before the raid, but the property was confirmed as a key storage and dispatch point for drugs smuggled from Chiang Rai to other provinces. Authorities are now hunting the trafficking network.
On November 10, 2026, Pol. Lt. Gen. Phongsawat Chaiboon, Commander of Phayao Provincial Police, together with Pol. Col. Wisit Pluemjai, Deputy Commander of Phayao Provincial Police, Pol. Col. Chalermchat Yawichai, Superintendent of Mueang Phayao Police Station, and a team of investigators from Mueang Phayao Police Station and Border Patrol Police, deployed to Ban Tom Subdistrict, Mueang Phayao District, Phayao Province. They acted on a report that a group was smuggling methamphetamine from Chiang Rai Province to hide in Mueang Phayao before distributing it to other provinces via private courier companies.
Upon reaching the target house, police surrounded the property to arrest the suspects, but the group apparently had advance warning and fled, leaving behind only the contraband. Officers found 2,918,000 methamphetamine tablets, well-packaged, along with a large number of parcel boxes believed to be ready for shipment to other provinces via private couriers.
Pol. Col. Chalermchat Yawichai revealed that Mueang Phayao Police had received a tip about individuals secretly sending narcotics through private courier services into the interior. Coordination with Border Patrol Police confirmed drug parcels were being dispatched from Ban Tom Subdistrict. Investigators subsequently identified a rented house near the Mae Tam intersection as the drug stash location. When officers arrived, they found the house lights on, an air compressor running, and several parcels sitting outside, indicating the suspects had just fled.
The investigative team inspected the parcels and confirmed they contained methamphetamine packaged for delivery to customers via private courier services. A total of 2,918,000 tablets were counted and seized as evidence, then transferred to Mueang Phayao Police Station for further investigation to track down the traffickers.
Pol. Lt. Gen. Phongsawat Chaiboon added that the drug situation in Chiang Rai and Phayao remains critical, with traffickers using multiple routes and methods through Phayao. He warned that without vigilance and intelligence, these drugs could enter the distribution chain and cause widespread harm. He has ordered all area police to maintain surveillance and make immediate arrests when targets are identified, to pressure traffickers to abandon the trade and pursue legitimate livelihoods.
