Key drug traffickers who had fled arrest warrants with a combined bounty of over 2.5 million baht, were extradited from Myanmar to Thailand. The operation, yesterday, July 16, exemplifies enhanced cooperation between Thai and Myanmar drug enforcement agencies.
The apprehension of the fugitives, Tachin Norawong and Chamung Kantawong, was facilitated by the collaboration between the Office of the Narcotics Control Board (ONCB) and Myanmar’s Central Committee for Drug Abuse Control (CCDAC). The agencies worked together to trace the suspects’ hideouts in Myanmar, ultimately leading to their capture.
Tachin and Chamung, significant figures in transnational drug trafficking, were wanted by the ONCB for orchestrating drug operations and sourcing narcotics from neighbouring countries. They utilised a network of Thai couriers to smuggle drugs into Thailand’s interior.
Evidence was gathered from a previous arrest on October 22, 2024, where three individuals were caught with 154 kilogrammes of heroin hidden in a van. Tachin was identified as the mastermind, with Chamung and another accomplice, Parkpoom, involved.
On February 15, the ONCB, in collaboration with partner agencies, arrested three suspects with 500 kilogrammes of ice, issuing arrest warrants for five people, including Tachin. Subsequent operations on March 5 targeted Tachin’s network across six provinces, resulting in Parkpoom’s arrest and asset seizures valued at 80 million baht (US$2.46 million).
Between October 2024 and June 2025, four more cases linked to Tachin’s network were cracked, seizing 609 kilogrammes of ice, 154 kilogrammes of heroin, and 1.3 million methamphetamine pills. Eight arrest warrants were issued, with three people apprehended and assets worth 100 million baht (US$3 million) confiscated.
Despite being on the run in Myanmar, Tachin and Chamung continued directing drug operations. They became prime targets in the ONCB’s annual significant drug trafficker arrest initiative, with a reward of 2.5 million baht (US$76,995) announced for their capture.
On July 1, the Drug Suppression Bureau of the ONCB received intelligence on Tachin’s whereabouts. They coordinated with the CCDAC in Myanmar, which led to the successful raid and arrest of Tachin and Chamung at their hideout, reported KhaoSod.
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