Authorities in the Sangkhla Buri district of KANCHANABURI province have ordered the closure of all access points from border warehouses into Myanmar’s Payathonzu township, following the arrest of a smuggler carrying approximately 18 million baht in cash.

The suspect, a 25-year-old Thai national from Ratchaburi province, was apprehended on Tuesday at a fertilizer storage facility in the Moo 9 village of tambon Nong Lu. He was taken into custody immediately after crossing onto Thai territory from Payathonzu township via the warehouse’s rear entrance on Monday morning.

Officials report that the individual had 17.99 million baht in his possession at the time of the arrest.

Following the arrest, Sangkhla Buri district chief suriya Muan-uam, accompanied by local law enforcement, conducted an inspection of the warehouse. Subsequently, they issued a directive to all property owners with gates providing access to Payathonzu, instructing them to permanently seal these entryways.

Reportedly, there are 42 buildings situated along the border that have direct gate access into Myanmar.

During questioning, the 25-year-old smuggler admitted to police that he had been using similar back gates to cross the border on a weekly basis for several years, paying 500 baht each time.

The suspect stated that he intended to deposit the money at a commercial bank in Sangkha buri, with the funds earmarked for settling debts with suppliers. He denied any connections to drug trafficking operations.

He was later released on 3 million baht bail, as the investigation remains ongoing.

The suspect stated that he intended to deposit the money…with the funds earmarked for settling debts with suppliers.