• About 500,000 methamphetamine pills were discovered.
• Thai military has killed five alleged drug trafficker.
• No Thai soldiers were hurt.

After a fight between Thai security personnel and alleged smugglers in Thailand’s north, about 500,000 methamphetamine pills were discovered.

Following a fight in Thailand’s north near the infamous “Golden Triangle” region, the Thai military has killed five alleged drug traffickers and found nearly 500,000 methamphetamine pills.

In the early hours of Thursday, a military patrol in Chiang Rai province, close to the Golden Triangle, which is the area where the jungle borders of Thailand, Laos, and Myanmar meet, came across suspected smugglers carrying backpacks. The Golden Triangle has long been a lucrative hub for the illicit drug trade.

The five individuals refused to be searched and then fired, starting an armed confrontation that lasted for roughly five minutes, according to a statement from the Pha Muang Task Force of the Thai military.

The task force reported that the five suspects were murdered and no Thai soldiers were hurt, adding that the group was in possession of about 500,000 methamphetamine pills and a revolver.

Premchai Premkamol, an officer with the Pha Muang Task Force, told the AFP news agency that “narcotics have been quite widespread [near the border] but recently there has been an order from the commander to shore up law enforcement activities.”

The most recent altercation comes after two similar instances, including one in December that resulted in 15 fatalities and one last week in which six alleged drug traffickers were killed in the nearby province of Chiang Mai.

Experts on counter-drugs claim that following a military coup in Myanmar in February 2021, the drug trade in the Golden Triangle region has exploded, with allegations that production and trafficking of methamphetamine and opium have increased significantly.

The local Chiang Mai News agency in Thailand claimed on Tuesday that a confrontation with alleged traffickers in the province of Chiang Mai resulted in the deaths of six suspects and the recovery of 19 backpacks containing hundreds of kilogrammes of ketamine.

A new assessment on opium cultivation in Myanmar, which the UN said had had a nearly ten-year drop until production slightly climbed in 2021, is about to be released by the UNODC.

Last year, the growth in cultivation persisted. Following the February 2021 military takeover, the first full opium cultivation season has now passed, and the UNODC stated in a brief statement that “it is apparent the country is seeing a significant transformation in the opium industry.”

Save the Date 👉 11.00 January 26 @FCCThai “Myanmar Opium Survey 2022: Cultivation, Production and Implications” briefing with @jdouglasSEA @yasdre @benihofmann #drugpolicy #organizedcrime #trafficking pic.twitter.com/838aNAc6bC

— UNODC SEAsia-Pacific (@UNODC_SEAP) January 12, 2023

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