Police Seize 506,000 Methamphetamine Pills Worth 30 Million Baht
Police in Pattani seized 506,000 methamphetamine pills worth 30 million baht from a pickup truck on July 23, arresting a smuggler linked to a major trafficking network operating between central Thailand and Narathiwat.
Pattani police announced on July 24, 2569, the arrest of a major drug trafficking network and the seizure of 506,000 methamphetamine pills concealed in a hidden compartment behind the cab seat of a white Toyota pickup truck bearing Bangkok license plates. The drugs were valued at 30 million baht if successfully smuggled to a neighboring country.
According to deputy provincial police commander Sunthat Chuaphuttaban, the arrest resulted from continuous investigation following an earlier June bust that netted 590,000 pills and 200 kilograms of ice. On July 22, officers received a tip that a man named Hassan was transporting drugs from central Thailand to a Narathiwat-based network. Officers tracked and intercepted the vehicle on July 23 at a checkpoint in Nong Chik district.
Initial inspection revealed nothing illegal, but detailed examination at the provincial police forensics unit discovered the 506,000 pills hidden in the modified compartment. Hassan confessed to smuggling drugs twice previously and earned 200,000 baht per trip. Authorities charged him under drug laws and seized his phone and vehicle while expanding the investigation to other network members.
