NAKHON PATHOM, THAILAND – Police seized more than 1.5 tonnes of illegal drugs and arrested three suspects at a rented house west of Bangkok, with the haul valued at over 520 million baht on the street.
Raid in Kamphaeng Saen
Officers raided the property in Kamphaeng Saen district, where a gang had allegedly used the site to store narcotics from border regions before distributing them to urban centres. The operation was formally announced on 7 March by Pol Lt Gen Siam Boonsom, chief of the Metropolitan Police Bureau, alongside investigators from the Metropolitan Police Division 6.
According to police, the investigation began with information from customers who had been arrested by the Metropolitan Police Division 6 on 12 February. Officers then traced the supply chain, placed the target house under surveillance and moved in while the suspects were allegedly operating the depot.
Drugs stored in the house
Investigators reported finding 1 million methamphetamine pills, 620 kilograms of crystal meth and 810 kilograms of ketamine inside the building. The drugs were said to have been stacked in white woven sacks on the ground floor, and officers also seized cars, motorcycles and mobile phones belonging to the suspects.
Police estimated that, if the drugs had entered circulation, the potential damage would have reached around 520 million baht. The seized narcotics formed part of what investigators described as a larger trafficking operation in central Thailand.
Three arrests and alleged roles
Three men, identified by police as Yutthaporn, Phinyo and Chaiya, were taken into custody at the scene. In initial questioning, Yutthaporn and Phinyo allegedly admitted that the drugs had been stored in the house, while Chaiya was said to have acted as a lookout.
The detained men reportedly told investigators they had been hired to guard the warehouse and wait for instructions from their financial backers. These backers allegedly ordered deliveries to buyers once new shipments were ready for distribution.
Money, sacks and drop-off points
The suspects said they were paid 70,000 baht per person for each transport run and claimed to have carried out the job about twice. Newly purchased sacks were allegedly used to repackage the drugs into smaller quantities before leaving them at pre-arranged drop-off locations.
According to the suspects’ statements, the drugs stored in the house had been prepared on 5 March for collection by clients, who were then expected to pass them on further down the distribution chain. Police said the depot functioned as a critical hub for moving narcotics from border areas into major population centres.
Network under extended investigation
Investigators stressed that the three arrested men were part of a broader network operating in the Kamphaeng Saen region. Police said this network had already been subjected to extended investigations on ten occasions and was expected to lead to further arrests.
“The three detainees are part of a larger network in the Kamphaeng Saen area that we have expanded our investigations into ten times already and that will now result in further arrests.”
said Siam Boonsom, Metropolitan Police Bureau chief.