Police have arrested a Taiwanese, a Malaysian and two Thais and will seek warrants for about 1,000 other suspects in an operation against a global crystal methamphetamine cartel with an alleged billion baht revolving fund.
They also seized about 70 million baht in assets.
The four detained suspects - Taiwanese national Cheng Mi Hsu, 69, Malaysian Tan Hun Seong, 58, Wiparant Kandee, 50, and Walaipan Phetpong, 65 - were presented at a media briefing at the Office of the Narcotics Control Board in Bangkok on Thursday.
The four were arrested for alleged involvement in the trafficking of crystal methamphetamine, or "ice", during raids on 59 premises in nine provinces in the North, Central Plain and South on Wednesday.
Seized assets included 30 million baht in cash, money in bank accounts, houses, automobiles, gold ornaments and jewellery.
The raids followed the apprehension of two Malaysians, Chang Kim Sui and Lim Yean Hsu, with 282 kilogrammes of "ice" in Sa Dao district of Songkhla on March 29.
Pol Lt Gen Sommai Kongwisaisuk, commissioner of the Narcotics Suppression Bureau, said the cartel was linked with the network of alleged Lao drug kingpin Xaysana Kiewpimpha. The suspects were minor cogs in a global drug network with a revolving fund of 1 billion baht, and money-laundering operations in many countries.
Police suspected the money-laundering involved 16 companies in many Thai provinces, including hotels, entertainment venues and money lending businesses, Pol Lt Gen Sommai said.
Police would seek warrants for the arrest of about 1,000 other suspects in the local drug network, he said.
The cartel trafficked "ice" from border areas in the North and moved it along roads to the southern border and into Malaysia, and then to other countries. Each vehicle the network used carried 100-300 kilogrammes of crystal meth per trip, Pol Gen Sommai said.
"The 'ice' was priced at 1 million baht per kilogramme in Thailand and was resold at 5 million baht a kilogramme in Malaysia," he said.