Surasak Monteri Task Force Intercepts Drug Smuggling Operation Across Mekong River, Seizes 1.08 Million Methamphetamine Pills
Thai authorities seized 1.08 million methamphetamine pills during a major drug bust along the Mekong River in Loei Province on May 22, after suspects fled to Laos by stolen fishing boats.
The Surasak Monteri Task Force, under the command of the Second Army Region, successfully intercepted a major drug smuggling operation on May 22, 2025. Operating under the Northeast Border Drug, Precursor Chemical and Chemical Control Center (Center 24), the task force coordinated with local security agencies to set up a checkpoint along Highway 211 in Ban Songao Village, Huay Pichay Subdistrict, Pak Chom District, Loei Province, following intelligence reports of illicit drug transportation into the area.
Officers spotted a suspicious pickup truck arriving at the checkpoint location, where three suspicious men were loading black sacks onto the vehicle bed. When authorities moved in to conduct a search, the suspects fled under cover of darkness by stealing two fishing boats with outboard motors belonging to local residents and crossed the Mekong River back to Laos. A pickup truck also escaped along Highway 211 toward Sangkhom District in Nong Khai Province.
Following the operation, authorities seized approximately 1,080,000 methamphetamine pills contained in three sacks, along with one seized fishing boat with motor. The evidence has been secured at the unit headquarters for detailed inventory before being transferred to Pak Chom Police Station for legal proceedings. Authorities are actively pursuing leads to identify and prosecute other network members involved in the smuggling operation.
