(Thailand, 26th) Thai law enforcement officers have seized a batch of high-purity methamphetamine—suspected to have been smuggled from the Golden Triangle—by the Mekong River, with a weight of about 500 kilograms and a black market value of up to 500,000 baht (approximately RM61,300) per kilogram.
According to the Bangkok Post, officials from Nakhon Phanom Province in northeastern Thailand and the Mekong River security forces were conducting a routine patrol in Tha Uthen District on the night of the 24th when they discovered 12 large bags of drugs.
Investigators stated that the drugs were transported by a smuggling syndicate using a long-tail boat from Laos across the river and temporarily hidden on the Thai side. Upon spotting the patrol team, the smugglers quickly escaped back across the river.
Investigators stated that the drugs were transported by a smuggling syndicate using a long-tail boat from Laos across the river and temporarily hidden on the Thai side. Upon spotting the patrol team, the smugglers quickly escaped back across the river.
This batch of drugs was divided into 500 packages, each weighing 1 kilogram, with a total weight of 500 kilograms. The packaging bore the "Golden Flying Horse" emblem, which is believed to indicate the origin from the Golden Triangle region, smuggled into Thailand via Laos and then intended for onward transport to a third country.
This type of drug is classified as a Category 1 narcotic, with a black market price of around 300,000 to 500,000 baht per kilogram (about RM36,800 to RM61,300).
Authorities revealed that in the past six months, Nakhon Phanom Province has already seized nearly 30 million methamphetamine pills and over 3 tonnes of methamphetamine.