Thai soldiers seize heroin and meth 'trafficked by Burmese rebels to fund war effort'

Thai troops seized drugs allegedly smuggled by Burmese rebels to fund their war against the state.

The Pha Muang Task Force clashed with suspected drug traffickers in the Mae Sai district of Chiang Rai province, near Thailand's northern border with Myanmar, on August 9.

A gunfight ensued, sending the alleged smugglers fleeing.

Soldiers searched the scene and found five sacks containing locally produced 600,000 meth pills and 9.6 kilogrammes of heroin that had been grown in the region..

Colonel Kittakorn Chanthra, Deputy Commander of the Pha Muang Task Force, said: 'The Pha Muang Task Force has been closely monitoring the border together with various agencies in the area to prevent drugs from entering Thailand.

'We ask for cooperation from the people in the area to provide information to officials so that we can help prevent drugs from being smuggled into the country.

'During this time, we can see that there are drugs continuously being received due to the fighting in neighboring countries, which requires funds to buy weapons and equipment for ethnic minorities. As a result, there is a large amount of drugs being sent here for sale. However, the officials will intercept as many drugs as possible in the border area.'

The military leader added that authorities believe Thailand was being used as a transit point for drugs to be exported to other countries such as Australia, which has a bigger market for heroin.

Thailand has become a notorious hub for drug production and trafficking. In the north of the country, the ‘Golden Triangle' area shares borders with Laos and Myanmar, and has produced large amounts of opium since the 1950s but focus in recent years has shifted to the more profitable methamphetamine.

Officials believe most of the meth is produced in the Shan State of Myanmar before being distributed through neighbouring countries where prices are higher before ending up in the most expensive markets of Australia, Japan, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Singapore.

Myanmar has fallen into civil war following the removal of democratically elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi, a Nobel Peace Prize winner, with a military coup in 2021.

Soldiers responded with barbaric force on protesting civilians leading to widespread condemnation and financial sanctions. Rebel groups and civilian militias around the country have since been locked in a series of ongoing clashes with the ruling military.

Aung San Suu Kyi has since been jailed for three decades on politically motivated charges and is likely to die behind bars unless the army is toppled - a tragic end the politician hailed by Barack Obama as an 'inspirational icon of democracy'.