Skip to content

Thai Inspector Goes Undercover As A Monk To Catch Drug Dealer, Feels Like Mission Impossible IRL

Thai Police disguised as monk


Undercover-policing is a method that authorities use to apprehend suspects before they go on the run from trouble. A variety of identities have been assumed by the officers including those that we would not expect – an example being Santa and elves.

Recently, in a Thai drug case, a police captain assumed the role of a Buddhist monk in order to intercept a drop at a Maha Sarakham temple.


Thai temple used as drop-site


Learning from a spy that their usual delivery location is at Paknam Temple in Maha Sarakham, the narcotics unit decided to go undercover with the police captain disguised as a monk. It was just the other day around 3pm that two drug dealers were arrested with more than 50,000 amphetamine pills.

Thai Police Disguised As Monk
Image credit: Kom Chad Luek

The mission went successfully with the arrest made upon their arrival. After investigating further, the police found the locations where the group was hiding 24 bags of narcotics – each containing 2,000 pills.

Arrested Drug Dealer
Image credit: สถานีโทรทัศน์สำนักงานตำรวจแห่งชาติ

Additionally, the two have also named their two accomplices: one being a woman in Roi Et and another being a Laotian woman who supplied 1,200,000 tablets of amphetamines.

Police Unit
Image credit: สถานีโทรทัศน์สำนักงานตำรวจแห่งชาติ

According to Kom Chad Luek, finding out that the two drug dealers started engaging in drug dealing again just after having been released from prison.


Police’s creativity deserves recognition


It’s not everyday that you see a police disguising as a monk in an undercover mission, so it doesn’t come as much of a surprise to see the story circling around the internet with heavy rounds of applause.

More about recent news in Thailand here:


Cover images adapted from: Kom Chad Luek (L), สถานีโทรทัศน์สำนักงานตำรวจแห่งชาติ (R)

Enjoying The Smart Local Thailand? Follow us on Facebook and Instagram for more stories like this.