PM Anutin vows to eradicate drugs as police report major crackdown results
Thai police deliver impressive anti-drug results, with PM Anutin ordering a relentless crackdown to wipe out narcotics completely.
- Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul has declared drug suppression an urgent national priority, vowing to "win the war on drugs" and eliminate the threat from society.
- Thai police reported major anti-drug results over the past year, including over 265,000 cases, the seizure of more than 1 billion methamphetamine pills, and the confiscation of assets worth over 14.9 billion baht.
- Recent crackdowns have dismantled nine major trafficking networks, with police highlighting numerous large-scale busts across the country that seized millions of meth pills and hundreds of kilograms of crystal meth.
- The Prime Minister pledged full government support for the police, including investments in advanced technology and enhanced international cooperation to tackle cross-border trafficking.
Prime Minister and Interior Minister Anutin Charnvirakul on Saturday (October 4) presided over a press briefing on Thailand’s anti-drug operations at the Narcotics Suppression Bureau (NSB) headquarters. He was joined by Justice Minister Pol Lt Gen Rutthaphon Naowarat, national police chief Pol Gen Kitrat Phanphet, and senior commanders, underscoring the government’s firm stance to “win the war on drugs.”
Anutin declared narcotics suppression as an urgent national priority, calling drugs a severe threat to society that must be eliminated. He instructed the Royal Thai Police to enhance international cooperation in tackling cross-border trafficking and to “update and upgrade” operations in line with modern crime trends.
Major seizures and arrests
According to police, anti-drug efforts over the past year resulted in 265,446 cases, the arrest of 265,109 suspects, and the seizure of huge quantities of narcotics:
- Methamphetamine: 1.083 billion pills
- Crystal methamphetamine (ice): 51,916 kg
- Ketamine: 6,031 kg
- Heroin: 11,294 kg
- Assets worth over 14.9 billion baht were also confiscated from trafficking networks.
Between September and October 2025 alone, police dismantled nine major networks, arresting 16 suspects and seizing 18.25 million meth pills, 1,488 kg of crystal meth, and 29 kg of ketamine.
Key operations included:
Narcotics Suppression Bureau (NSB)
- “Pilot of Prachinburi” raid: Warehouse bust in Nakhon Phanom, seizing 500 kg of crystal meth.
- “Hell truck” interception: In Saraburi, officers seized 468 kg of crystal meth and 29 kg of ketamine en route to the South.
- “Speed gang” takedown: 3.2 million methamphetamine pills seized in Pak Chong, Nakhon Ratchasima.
- “Charoen Chai gang” bust: At a petrol station in Kamphaeng Phet, police seized 6 million methamphetamine pills.
- “Hilltribe brothers network”: 2.5 million methamphetamine pills confiscated in Nakhon Sawan.
- “Southern network in the North”: 2 million methamphetamine pills seized in Chiang Rai, destined for the South.
Patrol and Special Operation Division, Metropolitan Police Bureau
- “Suphan Buri network”, seizing 3.08 million methamphetamine pills from a suspect already under electronic monitoring.
The Border Patrol Police Command
- “Thao Chai Noi network”: Arrest in Nakhon Phanom yielded 300 kg of crystal meth and 1.47 million methamphetamine pills worth 75 million baht domestically, or double that if trafficked to a third country.
- Bueng Kan bust: 220 kg of crystal meth seized along the Mekong River.
Government pledge
Concluding the briefing, Anutin pledged full government backing for the police, including investments in advanced technology and systemic mechanisms to ensure sustainable anti-crime measures.
He urged all agencies to carry out their duties with dedication and vigilance, ensuring both success and safety in the fight against narcotics.
