NAKHON PHANOM - Authorities have arrested the chairman of a tambon administration organisation (TAO) council in Tha Uthen district, finding him with 400,000 speed pills.
Siwat Saengba, 49, chairman of Nong Thao TAO council, was apprehended with two fertilizer sacks containing 400,000 speed pills, Tha Uthen district chief Prakhongsak Khanpiakaew said on Thursday during a media briefing.
Mr Siwat had been under surveillance for an extended period after intelligence linked him to a major transnational drug trafficking network operating along the Thai and Lao sides of the Mekong River.
Investigators alleged he was responsible for receiving shipments of speed smuggled across the Lao border and holding them at a location on the Mekong riverbank before transportation deeper into Thailand.
The arrest took place during a surveillance operation along the riverbank. A combined team of army rangers and loal officials spotted the suspect walking to the water to collect two sacks that had been hidden on the shoreline.
He was allegedly carrying the drugs to a cattle pen in Hat Sai Phe village, where they were to be stored ahead of further distribution. When officers moved in, the suspect attempted to flee but was caught.
Although he initially denied the allegations, investigators said the evidence against him was sufficient.
During questioning, he admitted he had been hired to transport the drugs but declined to provide further details.
Authorities said they were expanding the investigation to identify and arrest other members of the trafficking network.
According to investigators, the group regularly smuggled hundreds of thousands of speed pills into the country with each shipment, with couriers allegedly receiving payments worth hundreds of thousands of baht.
Background checks found that Mr Siwat is a former village headman of Hat Sai Phe village and had long been suspected of involvement in drug trafficking.
After leaving his position as village headman, he successfully ran for election as a Nong Thao TAO member in 2023 and was serving his second term when he became chairman of the TAO council.
Authorities suspected his involvement in local politics may have been used to cultivate public trust and avoid suspicion while he allegedly carried out drug-related activities.
Investigators also found that his wife had previously been imprisoned on a narcotics charge involving possession of speed pills several years ago.
