Fifty tonnes of drug precursors seized in raid linked to ‘Noo Chen’ cartel

Anti-narcotics officers and the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) have seized more than 50 tonnes of chemical precursors during coordinated raids on warehouses across four provinces, including Samut Prakan.

Yesterday, officials from the Office of the Narcotics Control Board (ONCB) and the DSI targeted 10 locations across Bangkok, Samut Prakan, Rayong and Nonthaburi. The sting operation uncovered vast stockpiles of hazardous industrial chemicals hidden inside a factory warehouse in Samut Prakan’s Phra Pradaeng district and other sites.

The massive haul included 9,105kg of acetone, 10,170kg of acetic acid, 225kg of hydrochloric acid, 4,500kg of sulphuric acid and 26,000kg of dioctyl phthalate.

Authorities estimated that if these essential precursors had reached illicit labs in neighboring regions, they could have yielded approximately 1.1 billion methamphetamine pills or 21 tonnes of crystal methamphetamine, commonly known as "ice."

Prime Minister and Interior Minister Anutin Charnvirakul disclosed that the operation was a direct expansion of the case against ‘Thapanan’, alias "Noo Chen", a high-profile drug kingpin who was recently apprehended.

Investigations into Noo Chen's international financial transactions revealed a deeply entrenched network responsible for illicitly purchasing and smuggling precursor chemicals from Thailand into Myanmar and the Golden Triangle since 2023.

While the exact transit methods remain a classified part of the legal case file, authorities confirmed that the flow of chemicals had been ongoing for years.

Furthermore, investigators discovered a nexus between these front companies and grey-market Chinese criminal syndicates operating within Thailand.

The syndicates were reportedly diverting similar chemicals to manufacture etomidate, a potent anaesthetic used as an illicit additive in e-cigarette liquids, which has already sparked four recent police crackdowns.

All the seized chemicals are classified as Type 3 hazardous substances under the Hazardous Substances Act BE 2535 (1992), which strictly regulates their possession under the Ministry of Industry.

During the raids, the operators failed to produce any valid permits or documentation allowing the possession or storage of these restricted materials.

As a result, all 50 tonnes of chemical agents were impounded and authorities are moving forward with prosecutions against those involved in the illicit network.