BANGKOK–On Monday, the Ministry of Justice on Chaeng Watthana Road, Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra, joined with key officials to announce that nearly 2.4 tons of crystal methamphetamine was seized in the Gulf of Thailand, with an international street value of over $91 million.
Pol Lt Col Yutthana Phradam, Director-General of DSI, explained that this seizure was part of ongoing efforts to stop drug trafficking, in line with the government’s anti-drug policy.
According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime ( UNODC ), Thailand is a transit route for moving drugs to South Asia, Southeast Asia, the Pacific Islands, New Zealand and Australia.
He said this latest operation relied on intelligence from the Royal Thai Navy, which tipped off authorities about a planned shipment, with drugs being moved from Rayong and Chonburi provinces on the eastern seaboard down the Gulf of Thailand to Sichon and Khanom in Nakhon Si Thammarat, where a larger ship would collect them for export. The Navy and ONCB assisted in tracking and intercepting the shipment.
Once authorities confirmed the tip-off, they set up surveillance with cameras and other equipment to determine the exact time the transfer from truck to boat would happen. They joined forces with the Navy and managed to intercept the operation at Pak Nam Prasae in Rayong.
Officers discovered the drugs loaded onto a tour boat, weighing about 2.4 tonnes (effectively 2,399 kilograms). Eight suspects, all Thai nationals, were arrested. Officers are now working to trace the real owners, with evidence suggesting involvement from a foreign national.
Prime Minister Paetongtarn thanked all teams for their hard work and the shared effort in tackling the drug problem. She said this operation shows how teamwork across agencies is making a difference, and that the government is serious about fighting drugs at every level. She stressed that big seizures like this prevent serious damage, not just in Thailand but in other countries where these drugs might end up.
The DSI’s official report describes how the operation unfolded. On the evening of 21 June, following a tip-off, DSI’s narcotics team and Navy officers set up observation using four inflatable surveillance boats near the mouth of the Prasae River, about five nautical miles offshore.
They identified a suspicious 90-tonne tour boat marked with the name “PAIKANCATAMARANS.” Eight men were on board. When the suspects noticed the officers, they acted nervously, tried to speed away, and looked like they might dump several sacks overboard. Some used phones to contact others.
Officers identified themselves as DSI and the Royal Thai Navy . Using their authority, they approached and boarded the tour boat. A search found all eight crew members and a large number of white crystalline substances believed to be ice. Laboratory testing confirmed it was methamphetamine, about 2,399 kilograms in total.
While securing the drugs, a second team checked the “Look Yod” pier onshore, finding a white Isuzu six-wheel truck and a grey four-door Isuzu ute, both linked to the smuggling. Officers seized the vehicles and took the suspects into custody. The tour boat remains under the control of the First Naval Area Command.
Following this major bust, DSI, ONCB, and related agencies are expanding their investigation to target the higher-level organisers behind this shipment. This successful operation highlights the strong cooperation between Thai authorities in stopping drug trafficking and protecting communities both in Thailand and overseas.
