LOEI — 22 May 2026, Thai security forces seized more than 1.08 million methamphetamine pills along the Mekong River in northeastern Thailand after suspected traffickers fled across the border into Laos, authorities said.
The operation took place at about 04:00 on Friday near Highway 211 in Ban Sangao village, Huai Phichai subdistrict, Pak Chom district, following intelligence that a large drug shipment would be smuggled into the area.
According to the Thai army, troops from the Surasak Montri Task Force, border narcotics suppression units and local security agencies were deployed to monitor the riverbank.
Officers reportedly spotted a suspicious pickup truck parked near the Mekong before seeing three men loading black sacks onto the vehicle.
When security forces moved in, the suspects fled into the darkness and allegedly took two motorised long-tail boats belonging to local villagers before escaping across the Mekong into Laos.
The pickup truck driver separately fled along Highway 211 towards Sangkhom district in neighbouring Nong Khai province, authorities said.
After securing the area, officers found three sacks containing about 1.08 million yaba pills.
One motorised long-tail boat was also seized at the scene.
The seized drugs were transported to a local ranger unit base for examination before being handed over to Pak Chom police as evidence in the investigation.
Authorities said efforts are ongoing to identify and arrest other members of the suspected trafficking network.
