Thai authorities have seized more than one-and-a-half tonnes of crystal methamphetamine in a record seizure of the illegal drug, senior drug officials said.
Authorities said the commodity had been shipped from Africa via India and was destined for Europe, the United States or Australia.
Four men were arrested on the spot.
In the warehouse, authorities found methamphetamine weighing about 1.65 tons hidden in cotton rolls, according to Phanurat Lukboon, secretary general of the Drug Enforcement Administration.
"This is the first time we have seized such a large quantity of methamphetamine," Phanurat told AFP.
Officials declined to say what the value of the cargo was, but the seizure of one tonne of methamphetamine last May was valued at $25 million.
The kingdom is a major transit route for illicit drugs produced in the "Golden Triangle" region where northern Thailand, Laos and Myanmar meet.
Methamphetamine is generally used in two forms: either crystals ('ice') or tablets, which are usually less pure, called 'yaba' and more commonly taken in Thailand.
Myanmar is a major source of methamphetamine, much of it produced in clandestine laboratories in border areas controlled by armed ethnic minority groups.
According to the United Nations, a record amount of methamphetamine was seized in East and Southeast Asia in 2023 as organized crime groups increased production. | BGNES
.jpeg)