US DEA collaboration to Thailand operating drug trafficking

Last updated on May 11th, 2021 at 08:40 am

The US Consulate in Chiang Mai has reported the U.S. DEA assisted the Thai Government in a large-scale operation to take down 5 drug trafficking networks with money laundering operations worth over 3 billion baht.

With support from U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Chiang Mai Sensitive Investigative Unit (SIU), the Royal Thai Government arrested 15 suspects who are involved in laundering millions of U.S. dollars across the Thailand-Myanmar border. The Thai authorities arrested Drug Trafficking suspects in Chiang Rai, Pathum Thani, Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Tak, Saraburi, Chachoengsao, Nonthaburi, and Songkla Provinces and seized assets worth approximately 72 million baht. The U.S. DEA provided investigative mentorship, operational funding, and technical assistance to a part of this operation. DEA and Thai Intelligence Analysts are embedded in the unit and act as agent advisors to provide investigative support, operational funding, intelligence sharing and technical assistance to our Thai partners. The mission of the SIU Program is to help Thai law enforcement successfully conduct complex drug investigations to detect, target, and dismantle major international drug trafficking organizations. “We have been friends, partners, and allies with Thailand in this fight against drug trafficking for many decades. First with the opening of our DEA Bangkok office in 1963, then with our DEA Chiang Mai office in 1971,” said U.S. Ambassador Michael George DeSombre. “We will continue this U.S.-Thai security and law enforcement cooperation for many more decades to come.”