Over 17,000 drug suspects arrested in nationwide narcotics crackdowns
Over 17,000 drug suspects arrested in nationwide crackdown, with 96 million meth pills and millions in assets seized, as RTP targets major drug rings.
The Royal Thai Police (RTP) have launched a nationwide crackdown on drug trafficking, arresting over 17,000 drug suspects and seizing large amounts of various drugs, including more than 96 million meth pills, the national police chief announced on Wednesday.
RTP Commissioner-General Pol Gen Kitrat Phankaew held a press conference with Pol Maj Suriya Singhakamol, secretary-general of the Office of Narcotics Control Board, and Pol Gen Samrarn Nualma, deputy commissioner-general and director of the RTP’s Drug Control Management Centre, to announce the results of the operation aimed at wiping out drug trafficking.
Kitrat did not specify when the crackdowns were carried out by the Narcotics Suppression Bureau, with cooperation from the Metropolitan Police Bureau and Provincial Police Bureaus 1-9.
Kitrat said the operations covered 9,031 locations across the country to search for drugs and suspects involved in 1,730 drug rings. The operation resulted in the arrest of 17,071 drug suspects and 652 other individuals wanted under arrest warrants for other crimes.
The operation seized assets worth 343 million baht, along with significant quantities of drugs and illegal items, including:
- 96.73 million methamphetamine pills
- 1,715 kilograms of crystal meth (“ice”)
- 740 kilograms of ketamine
- 95 kilograms of heroin
- 100,650 ecstasy pills
- 607 guns
- 7 grenades
Kitrat also mentioned that police seized 9.33 million baht in cash from some suspects.
The national police chief explained that the operation targeted areas suspected of being drug selling points and storage locations, with the goal of dismantling major drug rings.
Pol Gen Samrarn stated that during the fiscal year 2025, the RTP has already conducted 11 nationwide drug crackdowns, covering over 54,000 locations, arresting nearly 90,000 suspects, and seizing assets worth over 6.2 billion baht.
For the next fiscal year, Samrarn added, his centre would intensify crackdowns, conducting searches for drugs and suspects twice a month in order to dismantle drug networks, particularly targeting drug pushers in local communities.
