The National Intelligence Service (NIS), working with Thai authorities, raided 10 local warehouses storing drug precursor substances in Thailand and seized 49.98 tons of chemicals. This is the first time a Korean government agency has directly cracked down on an overseas drug supply base.
The National Intelligence Service (NIS) said in a news release on the 10th that it "conducted joint raids with the Office of the Narcotics Control Board (ONCB) on the 9th (local time) at 10 warehouses in Thailand, including Bangkok, that stored drug precursor substances." The National Intelligence Service (NIS) seized the entire 49.98 tons of precursor and chemical substances, including acetone, hydrochloric acid and sulfuric acid, that could be used to manufacture drugs.
The National Intelligence Service (NIS) said that if all the seized precursor substances had been manufactured into drugs, they could produce 21 tons of methamphetamine or 1.1 billion tablets of yaba. Yaba is a type of synthetic drug mainly distributed in Southeast Asia. The National Intelligence Service (NIS) explained that the amount is enough for 700 million people to take simultaneously and, if distributed as finished goods, could be worth around 8.4 trillion won at market prices.
Thai authorities deployed about 100 personnel from five agencies, including the Office of the Narcotics Control Board and the military and police, for the operation. The National Intelligence Service (NIS), at the request of the Thai side, also dispatched drug response specialists to Thailand for the joint operation.
Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said in a local media briefing around 8 p.m. on the 9th, after the operation ended, "This investigation was carried out through close cooperation with the government of the Republic of Korea, especially the National Intelligence Service (NIS)," and added, "The National Intelligence Service (NIS) not only supported intelligence analysis and related information, but also cooperated in the arrest and extradition of drug dealer Tapanan."
The seizure operation was prompted by the arrest in Korea and extradition to Thailand of Thai drug dealer "Tapanan" on Apr. 7. The National Intelligence Service (NIS), at the urgent request of the Office of the Narcotics Control Board in Thailand, tracked Tapanan's stay information in Korea. Tapanan reportedly entered Korea under an assumed identity to receive cosmetic procedures at a local hospital and was caught through information sharing between Korean and Thai intelligence authorities.
The Office of the Narcotics Control Board in Thailand considers Tapanan a major drug dealer who distributed more than 50% of drugs in Thailand. According to the National Intelligence Service (NIS), Thai authorities issued 50 arrest warrants for Tapanan over the past 10 years.
The National Intelligence Service (NIS) and the Office of the Narcotics Control Board in Thailand, through joint investigations, assessed that Tapanan purchased drug precursor substances overseas, manufactured finished goods in the Golden Triangle, and distributed them to countries including Australia and Korea.
The Golden Triangle, where Thailand, Myanmar and Laos meet, is considered a global hub for the production and distribution of illicit drugs. Afterward, the intelligence and investigative authorities of both countries identified the locations of large-scale warehouses hiding drug precursor substances in Thailand and carried out this seizure operation.
The National Intelligence Service (NIS) said it has strengthened cooperation with the Office of the Narcotics Control Board in Thailand as drug inflows from Thailand into Korea have increased. According to the National Intelligence Service (NIS), in 2024 drugs flowing into Korea from Thailand totaled 294 kilograms, accounting for about 39% of all smuggled drugs.
The National Intelligence Service (NIS) has focused on arresting and extraditing overseas drug suppliers such as Park Wang-yeol and Choi Jeong-ok. The NIS International Crime Information Center plans to continue strengthening cooperation with major drug-producing and transit countries, including Thailand, to preemptively cut off international drug supply chains.
An official at the NIS International Crime Information Center said, "This joint operation striking an overseas drug production base is significant in that it shattered the origin of production for drugs supplied not only to Korea but across Asia," and added, "Korea has shown its determination to lead the international response to drugs by fulfilling responsibilities and obligations befitting its global standing."