Chonburi Immigration, in a joint operation with Pattaya City Police, raided and arrested two Nigerian men who they say are associated with a larger Nigerian drug trafficking network in Bangkok, Thailand.
The suspects, identified as Amarachi and Ikenna, were arrested after a sting purchase of crystal meth (ice) in the Jomtien area on Wednesday, October 29, 2025.
Authorities seized 33 grams of ice and 9 grams of cocaine hidden in cigarette packs and toothpaste boxes.
During the arrest, one suspect attempted to swallow small pellets of cocaine to eliminate evidence. Officers pried his mouth open and retrieved the drugs just in time.
Pattaya police say a further Investigation links the pair to a network of foreign nationals, mostly Nigerians, in Bangkok around Nana Plaza using the mouth-concealment method to evade detection.
Both suspects had entered Thailand on tourist visas but overstayed.
In an undercover operation on October 26th, 2025, Bangkok Metropolitan Police and narcotics suppression units, disguised as construction workers, stormed the bustling Sukhumvit 11 area in the notorious Nana district, dismantling a key cell of what they call the same Nigerian-led transnational drug network linked to the recent Chonburi busts of suspects Amarachi and Ikenna.
The pre-dawn raid netted eight Nigerian nationals and one Thai accomplice, who were allegedly using the “mouth-concealment method” to peddle cocaine and crystal meth to tourists, mirroring the evasion tactics uncovered in Pattaya.
Officers seized several grams of cocaine, mobile phones used for transactions, and cash proceeds, while the arrests exposed deeper ties to other Nigerian nationals in Bangkok, where overstay visa holders had evaded detection for months.
Authorities hailed the coordinated strike as a major blow to cross-border syndicates, vowing continued vigilance to safeguard the city’s nightlife and global visitors from such predatory operations.
Information from the Bangkok raid led officers to the Pattaya suspects.
Pol. Maj. Gen. Songprod Sirisukha, Commander of Immigration Division 3, declared: “We will relentlessly crack down on all forms of transnational crime — restoring safety to Pattaya and tourists worldwide.”
