Two tons of crystal meth worth $90M seized in Thailand before it could be smuggled out

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BANGKOK — Over 2 metric tons of crystal methamphetamine has been seized from a tourist boat near a pier in Eastern Thailand before it was smuggled out of the country, local authorities said Monday.

Eight men were arrested Saturday in Rayong province for allegedly attempting to smuggle the nearly 2.4 metric tons (2.6 tons) through the southern border, officials said. They did not elaborate on the intended destination or the drugs’ origin.

If sold abroad, the drugs are estimated to be worth over 3 billion baht ($90.8 million), Thailand’s Department of Special Investigation said.

The drugs were packed in plastic bags disguised as corn flour packages. Each contained about one kilogram. Authorities said they also seized a van and a truck believed to be involved in the drug smuggling.

Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra thanked officials for their efforts and told a press conference that “the government is serious about our policies on drugs.”

United Nations experts have said neighboring Myanmar is the source of most of the region’s methamphetamine and heroin.

A report from the U.N. drug agency last month said the illicit trade in methamphetamine and other dangerous drugs is growing quickly in Southeast Asia, with a record level of seizures in 2024 — 236 tons — a 24% increase over 2023.

The “Golden Triangle,” where the borders of Myanmar, Laos and Thailand meet, is famous for the production of opium and heroin, which flourished largely because of the remote location and lax law enforcement. In recent decades, methamphetamine has supplanted opium and heroin because it is easier to make on an industrial scale.