Thai authorities seized around 100 million baht in cash and assets in an investigation into an alleged scam, drug trafficking and money laundering network linked to a Myanmar-born drug kingpin known as Noo Chen.
Officials disclosed details of the operation at a press conference on October 9, following an initial seizure at a border checkpoint in Mae Sai district, Chiang Rai, on June 23.
Customs officials reportedly discovered two boxes containing 1,000 baht banknotes inside a pickup truck. The cash totalled around 23 million baht, and the driver, identified only as Sai, was arrested.
Further investigation reportedly uncovered links between the case, a call-centre scam operation and a drug trafficking network.
Police said Sai had opened bank accounts and withdrawn money from several banks across northern Thailand, with transactions totalling more than 200 million baht. Investigators also linked him to the alleged drug trafficking network.
According to police, Sai held a Myanmar passport and a Thai identity card under a different name, Luam Yilong.
Investigators also found that Sai had close ties to Thapanan, known as Noo Chen, a Myanmar-born Thai national described by police as a leading member of a drug trafficking network.
Police said Thapanan had been hiding abroad for more than 14 years and had allegedly attempted to fake his own death to avoid arrest. He was reportedly arrested in April this year.
Officers said Sai had frequently met Thapanan in Chiang Rai before their arrests, leading investigators to suspect that their cases were connected.
The investigation subsequently expanded, with officials seizing additional cash and assets linked to Sai. The total value of the seized property was reported to be around 100 million baht.
Officials said they planned to extend the investigation across neighbouring countries to examine possible cross-border connections.
They added that the operation aimed not only to seize assets for the state but also to recover money lost by fraud victims and return it to them.
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