NARATHIWAT: Syabu and methamphetamine pills make up most of the drugs being smuggled to Malaysia.
Narathiwat provincial police commander Major-General Anuruth Imarb said the drugs were smuggled into Thailand from bordering countries before being snuck into Malaysia via the Golok river.
He said the drugs were sent across the Malaysia border via Kelantan by several syndicates whose members are mostly Thais.
"Narathiwat province is where pushers find it easy to get their supplies and sell the drugs. There are many drug trafficking groups active in this province and we suspect they have connections with international groups.
"Some of these Thai groups are affiliates of the infamous 'Tamrun group', which is based in Songkhla," he told reporters at his office.
Anuruth said Thai police have arrested two members of the Tamrun group and another two who are related to the group.
From these, police seized syabu and methamphetamine pills worth more than 200 million baht (RM20 million).
The arrests, he said, were made early last year and in 2020.
He said Thai police were now hunting for 10 drug syndicate members who have been active in the province for many years.
He said the 10 were originally from the Waeng, Takbai, Sungai Padi and Sungai Golok sub-provinces.
They are Fakorasi Salaeng, Awe Mohbako, Amin Abu, Haromai Malee, Mohamadhafiz Teh, Kariya Jemama, Samran Baka, Aekalak Abdul, Maadi Sarasi and Samiung Poka, all aged between 37 and 50.
"These traffickers have left Thailand and we suspect they have been hiding in a neighbouring country. They are among the biggest traffickers in Thailand and some of them are affiliated to those involved in the unrest in Thailand," he added.