Songkhla —
On August 21st, 2024, Songkhla local media reported that Region 9 investigation officers successfully intercepted a suspicious vehicle suspected of transporting a massive lot of illicit substances across the border from a neighboring country on Phetkasem Road in Rattaphum, Songkhla.
The operation stemmed from an investigation into a drug trafficking network smuggling narcotics from Laos to Malaysia via Thailand.
The police reported that the suspects, only identified as a Thai driver named Asawin and a Malaysian passenger named Louis, were found in possession of 100 kilograms of methamphetamine and 10 kilograms of ketamine, hidden in the vehicle’s spare tire compartment.
The vehicle also reportedly displayed a sticker from the Office of the Attorney General on the exterior, likely as a decoy to mislead law enforcement, according to the officers.
Both suspects reportedly confessed to being hired to transport the drugs from Vientiane, Laos, to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, through the Sadao border checkpoint, earning nearly 1 million baht per trip. It was reported that if the drugs had reached Malaysia, they would have been worth over 100 million baht, according to the officers.
