Thai Forces Seize 250 kg Ice, Arrest Two Lao Suspects
Thai military and police intercepted a drug smuggling attempt on the Mekong River, arresting two Lao men carrying about 250 kilograms of ice. The seizure is linked to a broader cross‑border narcotics network and follows an earlier bust that yielded 310,000 methamphetamine tablets in Nakhon Phanom. The suspects have been handed over to Lak Sila Police Station for legal proceedings.
On September 11, 2026, authorities in Nakhon Phanom arrested two suspects and seized 310,000 methamphetamine tablets in Phon Sawan district, prompting an ongoing investigation into a cross-border drug network linked to Laos. On October 6, intelligence indicated a drug shipment would be moved across the Mekong near Ban Lao Noi in That Phanom district. At approximately 00:30 on October 7, officers spotted a Lao-launched ferry carrying suspicious individuals; when the boat reached shore, the suspects split into groups, with one group remaining aboard while the other carried suspicious sacks ashore. Upon identification, the crew on the boat fled back to Laos, while two men on land were detained and five sacks suspected of containing ice were seized. The detained men were identified as Thao Lao Sanichai, 35, and Thao Nok Teco, 50, both residents of Nong Bong village in Kammuan Province, Laos. The five sacks held approximately 250 kilograms of ice. The suspects and evidence were taken to Border Patrol Police Company 237 for processing before being transferred to Lak Sila Police Station for prosecution. The operation involved the Northeastern Border Drug Suppression Command, the Surasak Montri Task Force, the upper‑region narcotics interception unit of the 3rd Infantry Regiment, Border Patrol Police Companies 237 and 235, Intelligence Unit 5 of the Surasak Montri Force, the That Phanom Naval Station, and Mekong River Patrol Unit 21.
