BANGKOK: Thai authorities intercepted more than one and a half tonnes of crystal methamphetamine in a record seizure of the illegal drug, senior narcotic officials said on Monday (Jan 20).
The haul – which authorities said had been sent from Africa via India and was bound for Europe, the United States or Australia – was found at a warehouse in Bangkok following a tip-off.
Four men were arrested at the scene.
At the warehouse, authorities found crystal meth weighing around 1.65 tonnes hidden in cotton rolls, according to Phanurat Lukboon, the secretary general of the Office of the Narcotic Control Board.
“It is the first time we have seized such a large quantity of methamphetamine,” Phanurat told AFP.
Officials declined to say how much the haul was worth but a one-tonne seizure of crystal meth in May last year had a street value of US$25 million.
The kingdom is a major transit route for illicit drugs produced in the “Golden Triangle” region where northern Thailand, Laos and Myanmar meet.
Methamphetamine is normally consumed in two forms: either in crystals (“Ice”) or tablets which are generally less pure called “yaba” and more commonly taken in Thailand.
Myanmar is a major source of methamphetamine, much of it produced in illegal labs in border areas controlled by ethnic minority armed groups.
A record quantity of methamphetamine was seized in East and Southeast Asia in 2023 as organised crime groups boosted production, according to the United Nations.
