Bangkok:The Royal Thai Police, in a joint operation with the Office of the Narcotics Control Board (ONCB) and the DEA, have successfully seized 1,178 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine from a fishing vessel. The operation, dubbed "Suppression of the Enemy of the Sea," took place in the lower Gulf of Thailand and involved a raid on the vessel "EAST HARBOUR 1."
According to Thai News Agency, the raid led to the arrest of the vessel's captain and six Thai crew members. The methamphetamine, valued at over 300 million baht, was discovered hidden in a secret compartment and packaged in tea bags. Initial interrogations revealed the crew's confession to receiving the drugs in the Gulf of Thailand, intending to transport them to the Philippines for a payment of 100,000 baht. Communication with their supplier was conducted via the LINE application.
Police General Itthipol Achariyapradit, Deputy Commissioner-General of the Royal Thai Police, highlighted the collaborative nature of the operation at a press conference. The operation involved the Narcotics Suppression Police, Marine Police, the Maritime Security Command, the Royal Thai Navy Region 2, the ONCB, and the U.S. DEA in Thailand, all working together to dismantle transnational drug trafficking networks at sea.
Further investigation revealed that the vessel was of Malian nationality and registered to a Laotian national known for similar smuggling activities in August. Authorities are intensifying efforts to identify and prosecute the masterminds and financiers behind this drug trafficking operation.