BANGKOK: Thai anti-narcotics police seized over US$8 million worth of drugs in one of the largest single hauls in the kingdom’s history, officers said today.
The so-called “Golden Triangle” border where Thailand, Myanmar, and Laos meet has long been a hotspot for drug smuggling, particularly of methamphetamine, despite repeated crackdowns.
Officers raided a building in central Nakhon Pathom city late last night, detaining four men at the premises and uncovering a huge stash.
“This is one of the largest amounts of drugs ever confiscated,” said newly appointed national police chief Torsak Sukwimol, adding the haul was worth roughly US$8 million.
He told reporters officers had found roughly 15 million “yaba” pills – methamphetamine tablets that are produced and used across the region.
Last year, the police seized around 540 million such pills in total, more than double the amount that was seized in 2017, according to data from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.
The police chief also said that the haul also included around 400kg of crystal meth and nearly 450 bars of heroin.
