Villagers' Tip Leads to Loei Meth Bust, 4,442 Pills Seized
Acting on a tip from fed-up villagers, authorities in Phu Ruea district, Loei province, raided a hut and seized 4,442 methamphetamine pills. The husband fled during the raid, leaving his 30-year-old wife, Pranida, to be arrested. She admitted the drugs belonged to her husband, who sold them to local youths and workers, and she now faces charges for possession with intent to sell and illegal drug use.
On November 4, 2026, Phu Ruea District Chief Sai Sit Khunsi received a report from villagers in Ban Pong Kwang, Pla Ba subdistrict, Phu Ruea district, Loei province, about suspicious individuals in the community exhibiting drug-use behavior. Constant motorcycle traffic in and out of the area had caused public distress. Acting on the tip, Deputy District Chief Natthaphon Chuharan led Phu Ruea administrative officers to inspect the scene — an unnumbered hut where a man and a woman were sitting underneath. Upon seeing officials, both fled. Officers apprehended the woman, 30-year-old Pranida, while the man escaped using his knowledge of local routes. A search of the hut revealed a black shoulder bag on a chair next to Pranida containing 4,442 methamphetamine pills.
During questioning, Pranida confessed the fleeing man was her husband, Yod, and that the drugs belonged to him, intended for sale to youths and laborers in the village. She claimed to be only a user and had taken three pills before the raid. Officials charged her with possession of a Category 1 narcotic (methamphetamine) with intent to sell, an act violating narcotics distribution laws, and illegal use of a Category 1 narcotic. She was handed over to Phu Ruea police investigators with the evidence for further legal proceedings.
