Police Arrest 6 Suspects with 300kg of Ice Concealed in Van, Seize 46 Million Baht in Assets
Police arrested six suspects with 300 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine at a Bangkok gas station and seized 46 million baht in assets across Narathiwat province in a major drug trafficking bust.
On May 13, 2569, Police General Suriya Singhakamol, Secretary-General of the Office of the Narcotics Control Board, announced the arrest of six suspects along with 300 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine concealed in a van at a gas station in Bangkok's Ratchathewi district. The suspects, all from Narathiwat province, are accused of trafficking Class 1 narcotics without authorization for commercial purposes, endangering public safety and national security.
Authorities expanded their search across five locations in Narathiwat province (Chaiya Irong, Sukhirin, and Suhaikhohok subdistricts) and seized assets valued at 46 million baht, including real estate, coin-operated laundries, vehicles, jewelry, and branded merchandise. According to Police General Suriya, the arrest was the result of coordinated intelligence between the Narcotics Control Board and the Special Operation and Investigation Command Unit 191 of the Metropolitan Police Bureau, which tracked the network's activities of transporting methamphetamine to southern Thailand using vehicles with altered license plates to evade authorities.
On May 10, authorities received intelligence that the group was preparing to transport narcotics, leading to close surveillance. On May 12, when officers discovered the van at a gas station in Ratchathewi, they found 300 kilograms of ice inside and arrested all six suspects. Investigators believe the methamphetamine was destined for southern Thailand and further transport to a third country. Police General Suriya emphasized that the Office of the Narcotics Control Board will work with relevant agencies to expand the investigation, gather evidence, and prosecute all individuals involved up to the kingpin level, while pursuing asset seizures and dismantling the entire drug trafficking network in accordance with government policy.
