KO PHA-NGAN, THAILAND – Tourist police on the island dismantled an alleged foreign drug gang in a night-time raid that led to six arrests at a resort.
Night raid leads to first arrest
Under the command of Police Lieutenant Winij Boonchit, officers said they broke up a well-organised drug network on the island. The operation began on 19 November 2025 with the arrest of 27-year-old Hnin.
He was found carrying two Yaba tablets and revealed his supplier, 23-year-old Se Tu. Officers then attempted to lure the alleged dealer into a trap.
Motorbike escape prolongs the chase
According to police, the dealer had been warned and fled on his motorcycle. The pursuit of the suspected network continued into the following day.
Investigators reviewed footage from surveillance cameras with the help of the mayor, which pointed them to a resort in Moo 1, Ban Tai.
Resort search uncovers suspects and drugs
At the resort, officers reportedly found Se Tu sleeping in front of the building. Inside a room, they discovered three accomplices who were in the process of packaging drugs.
In a black shoulder bag, investigators seized 116 Yaba tablets and 0.22 grams of crystal methamphetamine. All four suspects confessed immediately, according to police.
Revealed structure of the alleged gang
Further inquiries exposed what police described as a calculated system in which Se Tu allegedly acted as the leader, handling customers and deliveries.
“He already had an incident in 2023 with the same tourist police unit,”
said a source. The source added that he had been released from custody only two months earlier.
Officers said Min and Jo were responsible for packaging the pills, while Le collected the money. The drugs reportedly came from a Myanmar supplier based on Ko Samui.
Charges and potential consequences
All six suspects were taken to the Ko Pha-ngan police station to face what authorities described as serious offences. The charges included possession and trafficking of Class 1 narcotics, illegal entry and drug consumption.
For the Myanmar group, police said the drug business on the popular party island had come to an end, and they hailed the dismantling of the alleged network as a significant success.
Questions over the island’s drug problem
The raid, involving six arrests and what police described as an organised network, raised questions among observers about the depth of the drug problem on Ko Pha-ngan. Some locals and visitors were left wondering whether the island had become a hotspot for drug trafficking or whether this was only one visible case.
Investigators noted that the suspects operated like a small business, with purchasing, packaging and distribution clearly divided, and that one alleged member had been released from prison just two months before the operation.