Thai authorities warned that the ongoing civil unrest in Myanmar may has sparked a deluge of drugs into neighbouring Thailand.

The warning comes after police intercepted a shipment of six million amphetamine pills in the northern Thai province of Chiang Rai on May 20.

The Pha Muang Task Force's Thap Chao Tak unit was investigating a drug smuggling network and learned of the scheduled delivery.

Officers detained two men, Narin, 31, and Anupong, 40, at a hotel, and seized dozens of sacks containing the drugs in their pickup truck. They were handed over to the Ban Du Police Station to face charges.

General Narit Thawornwong, commander of the drug prevention and suppression unit at Thailand's northern border, said the pills were believed to be en route to Lampang province for storage before being delivered to central Thailand and Greater Bangkok.

He said: 'As there is unrest in neighbouring countries, we expect a flux of amphetamines entering Thailand.

'Moreover, manufacturers are also producing more heroin and crystal meth to earn more money. We expect intercepting the drugs to be more difficult especially as we enter the rainy season.

'However, we plan to devote more manpower and increase the frequency of anti-drug smuggling operations. We will be focusing on coordinating with neighbouring countries on securing arrest warrants and extraditing escaped suspects.'

Thailand has become a notorious hub for drug production and trafficking. In the north of the country, the ‘Golden Triangle' area shares borders with Laos and Myanmar, and has produced large amounts of opium since the 1950s but focus in recent years has shifted to the more profitable methamphetamine.

Officials believe most of the meth is produced in the Shan State of Myanmar before being distributed through neighbouring countries where prices are higher before ending up in the most expensive markets of Australia, Japan, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Singapore.