Four arrested smuggling suspects said they were hired for B300,000
PUBLISHED : 9 Apr 2026 at 15:45
NAKHON PHANOM – Paramilitary rangers have arrested three men and one woman who were attempting to smuggle 200 kilogrammes of ketamine into Thailand, authorities said on Thursday.
The arrest took place on Wednesday night at a resort hotel, where rangers found a suspicious Mitsubishi Pajero that had been driven from a location near the Mekong River in Ban Phaeng Tai village of tambon Ban Phaeng in Ban Phaeng district of the northeastern province.
The arrested suspects were identified as Pacharapol Pongphuttharak, 20, Anuchita Phanmaha, 18, Nathapong Mongkolsapa, 20, and Pisit Usuphan, 24. All are natives of Muang district in Mukdahan.
According to officials, the ketamine was contained in about 200 packs each weighing one kilogramme. The small packs had been put into four large sacks that were loaded into the multi-purpose vehicle.
The value of the seized ketamine was estimated at about 40 million baht in total. The suspects reportedly told officials that they had been hired for 300,000 baht to deliver the drugs to buyers at locations inland from the Mekong. They were hoping to raise money for spending during the Songkran festival.
Officials said ketamine is becoming more popular among foreign tourists and high-society abusers at entertainment venues, with selling prices of around 200,000 baht per kilogramme.
Drug smuggling through Nakhon Phanom has become more active in the past six months, with officials reporting seizures totalling 25 million speed pills, three tonnes of crystal meth and two tonnes of ketamine in the province.
