1.18 Tonnes of Crystal Meth Found in Secret Compartment Aboard Thai-Tracked Vessel
1.18 Tonnes of Crystal Meth Found in Secret Compartment Aboard Thai-Tracked Vessel
SONGKHLA, October 9, 2026 — Thai police have seized 1,178 kilogrammes of crystal methamphetamine from a fishing vessel in the Gulf of Thailand and arrested six Thai crew members suspected of transporting the drugs for shipment to the Philippines.
The narcotics, valued at more than 300 million baht, were discovered aboard the EAST HARBOUR 1. Authorities also impounded the vessel, which was valued at approximately 7 million baht.
Pol Gen Itthipol Achariyapradit, deputy national police chief and director of the Royal Thai Police Narcotics Prevention and Suppression Centre, announced the seizure at the Marine Police station in Songkhla on October 8.
Police tracked vessel from Songkhla
According to police, narcotics intelligence officers began monitoring the fishing boat after receiving information that it was allegedly being used to transport drugs through Thai waters before transferring them to larger vessels in the Gulf.
The EAST HARBOUR 1 was observed leaving the Songkhla coast on October 4 and was suspected of heading out to collect a drug shipment. Police subsequently assigned a patrol vessel to follow it.
At approximately 12:30 a.m. on October 7, officers intercepted the fishing boat in the lower Gulf of Thailand and detained its captain and five other Thai crew members.
A search uncovered crystal methamphetamine concealed in a secret compartment at the stern. The drugs were packed in tea bags and distributed among 39 sacks and eight additional packages, with a combined weight of 1,178 kilogrammes.
Suspects allegedly planned to send drugs to Philippines
Police said the six men were charged with jointly possessing a Category 1 narcotic for commercial sale, causing its distribution among the public and committing offences affecting state security.
According to investigators, the suspects initially admitted collecting the drugs in the Gulf and preparing to transport them to the Philippines. They allegedly told police they had been promised 100,000 baht for their roles in the operation.
The suspects reportedly communicated with the people directing the shipment through the LINE messaging application.
Police said the vessel was registered under the flag of Mali, while its registered holder was a Lao national. Authorities also alleged that the boat had previously been linked to a similar drug-transportation operation in August.
Multi-agency operation targets wider network
The operation, codenamed “Sayop Phrai Matchanu Prap Samut,” involved the Narcotics Suppression Bureau, Marine Police, Matchanu and Hanuman special operations teams, the Thai Maritime Enforcement Command Center, the Second Naval Area Command, the Office of the Narcotics Control Board and the US Drug Enforcement Administration in Thailand.
Pol Gen Itthipol said the operation was part of intensified drug-suppression efforts under Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul’s policy of treating illegal drugs as a national priority. National police chief Pol Gen Samran Nuanma had also ordered stronger enforcement against narcotics networks.
The suspects and seized evidence have been transferred to investigators from Narcotics Suppression Division 4.
Police said investigations were continuing to identify and arrest the alleged organisers and financiers behind the shipment. The allegations against the six crew members remain subject to legal proceedings.
