Bangkok: The chairman of the Nong Thao Subdistrict Administrative Organization council in Nakhon Phanom province was arrested, and 400,000 methamphetamine pills were seized. Border patrol soldiers, in cooperation with local authorities, tracked down and arrested the chairman in Tha Uthen District, Nakhon Phanom Province, alongside the massive drug haul. The chairman has a notorious history as part of a significant drug network operating on both sides of the Mekong River.
According to Thai News Agency, the arrest targeted a major transnational methamphetamine trafficking network involving Mr. Siwat, also known as "Aoy," 49, from Tha Uthen District. He is currently a member of the Nong Thao Subdistrict Administrative Organization and holds the position of Chairman of the Nong Thao Subdistrict Council. Authorities seized two sacks of fertilizer that contained a total of 400,000 methamphetamine pills.
The arrest followed an investigation revealing Mr. Siwat's long-standing involvement in drug trafficking. He was part of a significant network that smuggled methamphetamine, storing it along the Mekong River near the Nakhon Phanom border before transporting it inland. During a patrol, officers observed Mr. Siwat walking to the riverbank to retrieve sacks of methamphetamine, which he intended to store in a cattle pen in Ban Hat Sai Phae. Although he attempted to flee and denied involvement, he was caught red-handed. He was taken into custody for questioning and initially confessed to being hired but declined to provide further details. Authorities will continue their investigation to apprehend other members of the drug trafficking network.
A background check revealed that Mr. Siwat was a former village headman of Hat Sai Phae Village, Moo 5, Nong Thao Subdistrict, Tha Uthen District. After resigning, he ran for a seat on the Nong Thao Subdistrict Administrative Organization in 2023. Currently serving his second term, he holds the position of Chairman of the Nong Thao SAO Council. It is suspected that he used the villagers' support base to gain a position in order to deceive officials while secretly engaging in drug trafficking and profiting from it. His wife was found to have been imprisoned several years ago for drug-related offenses, specifically possession of methamphetamine.