CHIANG MAI– Late last night, soldiers from the Chaiyanuphap Special Task Force set up a checkpoint along the border, watching for illegal activity in the Fang district of Chiang Mai Province.
Maj. Gen. Kidakorn Chantra, Commander of the Pha Muang Task Force , instructed all units to tighten control over drug trafficking, following the “Seal Stop Safe” government policy. Recent reports indicated that drug gangs were making repeated attempts to move large shipments from neighbouring countries into the Thai interior through Fang.
Just after 11:30 p.m., officers s potted a motorbike carrying a white sack along the public road between Ban Pa Kha and Ban Nong Tao. When the rider spotted the soldiers, he dropped the sack and took off without looking back.
The officers searched the abandoned sack and found around 100,000 methamphetamine pills. The drugs were quickly secured as evidence.
Shortly after the drugs were seized, Col. Thanapat Saengnak, Deputy Commander of the Chaiyanuphap Task Force, led officials to announce the arrest and show the seized drugs at a public press conference. All evidence was then handed to the Fang police for official legal proceedings.
The Chaiyanuphap Special Task Force and Pha Muang Task Force continue to urge residents to look out for signs of drug activity in their villages and communities.
The Pha Muang Task Force
The Pha Muang Task Force, a special unit of the Royal Thai Army, is tasked with securing Thailand’s northern borders, particularly in Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai, against drug smuggling from the Golden Triangle region, where Thailand, Myanmar, and Laos converge.
This area is a major hub for methamphetamine production, primarily in Myanmar’s Shan State, with drugs smuggled across porous borders and rugged terrain.
The region’s proximity to Myanmar’s drug production hubs fuels smuggling. Methamphetamine (yaba and crystal meth) dominates, but heroin and ketamine are also prevalent. Myanmar’s 2021 coup has intensified drug production, with 2024 seeing a 172% increase in meth pill seizures (346 million) and a sevenfold rise in heroin (327 kg) compared to 2023.
People can report suspicious actions or tips through the Pha Muang Task Force hotline (05321-1054 ext. 12) or Chaiyanuphap Special Task Force (05311-4804).
