Officials declined to say how much the haul was worth but a 1 tonne seizure last year was valued at US$25 million. (Royal Thai Police/AFP pic)
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 today.
The haul – which authorities said had been sent from Africa via India and was bound for Europe, the US 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 1 tonne seizure of crystal meth in May last year was valued at 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.
