Vietnamese Drug Gang Uses Thailand Route to Ship Ice to Tokyo

On July 17, National Police Commissioner General Siam Bunyasombun announced the expansion of a narcotics trafficking investigation involving crystal methamphetamine hidden inside tamarind paste containers bound for Japan. The investigation began on July 13 when a courier delivering the package discovered suspicious items of unusual weight and turned the container over to police. Testing confirmed the container held approximately 2 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine concealed in six foil-wrapped rocks.

Deep investigation revealed the operation is run by a Vietnamese drug trafficking gang with a ringleader based in Hanoi who issues orders through a Facebook account, hiring riders to collect drugs from a Vietnamese safe house in Thailand and pass them to Thai couriers for delivery abroad. Police identified that a bank account belonging to 50-year-old Somphong from Sakon Nakhon was used to receive and transfer funds, with rotating Vietnamese operatives withdrawing cash in amounts of 20,000 to 50,000 baht before returning immediately to Vietnam to avoid arrest. Authorities believe more than four people are involved.

Police have issued arrest warrants for four suspects: one Thai national, Somphong, and three Vietnamese nationals who handled finances and managed the Facebook account. Somphong's girlfriend is believed to have knowledge of the operation but has not yet been charged; police are continuing to pursue her. One of the three Vietnamese suspects has already fled the country, while immigration authorities are closely monitoring the others.

The suspects attempted to conceal their activities by using different courier strategies and frequently changing tactics, including hiding drugs inside food products or seasoning packets by carefully cutting open the packaging and resealing it. Couriers were paid 450 baht per kilogram, a standard rate. The final destination is Tokyo, Japan, where Thai nationals receive the shipments and distribute them in stages. Police have coordinated with the Japanese Embassy to investigate further and are tracing the original source of the drugs and all financial flows, suspecting the network may be involved in other illegal activities beyond drug trafficking.