Thai police seize 1.1 tonnes of crystal meth in under a week

Thai police seized 1.1 tonnes of crystal methamphetamine in less than a week, officers said, as the kingdom cracks down on smuggling that has surged since the country's borders reopened.

"Some of these drugs were kept for a period of time before being transported to the southernmost provinces, and they were supposed to be shipped to other countries later," said Police General Chinnapat Sarasin, Deputy National Police Chief.

He said Thailand was "surrounded by drug manufacturing hotspots", but that the Covid pandemic had prevented smugglers from moving their wares.

In the first operation, officers found 731 kilograms of crystal meth, also known by the street name "ice", in two raids in the southern Thai provinces of Phatthalung and Surat Thani.

Following a tip-off, officers arrested three men after they discovered 688 kilograms of crystal meth in three pick-up trucks, which they believe was smuggled into Thailand's northeast before being transported south.

Another man was arrested in northern Chiang Rai province as he prepared to transport roughly 300 kilograms of ice -- hidden in tea bags -- south to Satun.

Finally, around 114 kilos were confiscated in central Nakhon Sawan and Pathum Thani provinces, after the drugs were found hidden in coffee bag packages. Two men were arrested.

Southeast Asia is awash with meth, and authorities netted a record billion pills across the Asian region in 2021, according to a United Nations report.