KHON KAEN — Tourist police in northeastern Thailand have arrested a 28-year-old man wanted on an arrest warrant in connection with the trafficking of 440,000 methamphetamine pills, after he went into hiding in Khon Kaen province.
At 14:30 on 12 January 2026, officers from Sub-Division 1 of Tourist Police Division 2, led by Col. Ronnapat Phengyuak, carried out the arrest with investigators from the Khon Kaen tourist police unit. The suspect, identified as Kittithat Duang-uam, was detained at a well-known apartment building on Chimpalee Road in the Non Than area of Khon Kaen municipality.
Kittithat, a resident of Lan Sak district in Uthai Thani province, was wanted under an arrest warrant issued by the Bueng Kan Provincial Court for possession of a Category 1 narcotic (methamphetamine tablets) with intent to sell. He was taken into custody and questioned at the Khon Kaen tourist police station.
Col. Ronnapat said the arrest followed the detection of the suspect by the tourist police’s AI-powered facial recognition system, which is installed across Khon Kaen municipality. The system flagged the suspect’s presence in the area earlier this month, prompting officers to conduct further checks and surveillance.
Investigators later confirmed that Kittithat was a key suspect wanted by Lao Luang police in Bueng Kan province. He was allegedly part of a group involved in smuggling 440,000 methamphetamine pills in Bueng Khong Long district, but had previously evaded arrest.
Police tracked him to the apartment in Non Than subdistrict, where they found him hiding in a rented room. Officers identified themselves, conducted a search and took him into custody under a Bueng Kan Provincial Court warrant dated 24 September 2024.
Col. Ronnapat said the suspect declined to make a statement, but identity checks confirmed he was the individual named in the warrant. He was formally charged with jointly possessing a Category 1 narcotic for sale in violation of the law.
The suspect has been transferred to Lao Luang police station for further legal proceedings.