Thai authorities have intercepted almost 200kg of crystal methamphetamine, with some of the drugs hidden in electric treadmills bound for Japan.

Police said 176kg of the drug, known as ice, were seized yesterday at a warehouse in Bangkok.

36kg of the drug were found concealed in metal pipes hidden inside ten treadmills that were destined to be flown to Japan, police said, while 140kg of the drug were found in wooden crates in the same warehouse.

One suspect has been arrested and police say an investigation into the smuggling ring is ongoing.

Thailand is a major trafficking route for crystal meth manufactured in Myanmar's Shan and Kachin states and the meth market has expanded at an alarming rate as drug seizures have surged more than tenfold over the past two years, official statistics show.

The UNODC estimates that the Asia-Pacific methamphetamine trade alone was worth as much as $61.4bn in 2018, up from an estimated $15bn just five years earlier.