Border patrol seizes 700kg of crystal meth after smugglers flee
Border patrol officers seized over 700 kilogrammes of crystal methamphetamine following a clash with a smuggling gang, who abandoned their vehicle and fled. The increased drug flow has prompted heightened police vigilance as the price of crystal meth dropped significantly to 10,000 baht per kilogramme.
At 4.30pm, yesterday, February 18, Police Colonel Worapat Boonma, commander of the Border Patrol Police Division 3, along with army officials and relevant agencies, announced the interception and seizure of approximately 700 kilogrammes of crystal meth. This followed a confrontation on the evening of February 17 with drug traffickers in Chiang Rai province’s Mae Chan district.
The Border Patrol Police Company 327 received intelligence on a large drug shipment moving from the Thai-Myanmar border along Road 1130. Police launched a search and interception operation along the suspected route.
A white Isuzu vehicle with Chiang Rai licence plates was later spotted descending from the border route. Officers followed it to the Pa Miang-Tha Duea junction in Mae Fa Luang district, where the vehicle accelerated and attempted to escape.
It turned into the village of Pha Duea and drove through a local longan plantation before stopping in a cornfield. The occupants fled into the surrounding forest under cover of darkness.
Police coordinated with local Mae Fa Luang district officials and military forces to inspect the vehicle. They discovered 50 sacks of crystal meth, each weighing approximately 14 kilogrammes, totalling around 700 kilogrammes.
The seized drugs were transported to the Border Patrol Police Company 327 in Mae Chan for documentation and handed over to the Mae Fa Luang police for further legal action.
Pol. Col. Worapat emphasised the operation was part of the government’s anti-drug strategy, SEAL STOP SAFE, which targets drug trafficking across 51 border districts. This initiative, running from February to July, aims to seal” the borders, stop the spread of drugs, and safe rehabilitate addicts.
These measures follow regional crackdowns on criminal activities, alongside Thai measures like cutting utilities and fuel supplies across borders, leading to increased demand for consumer goods. Consequently, drug trafficking groups have ramped up production and smuggling into Thailand, reported KhaoSod.
Police continue to monitor and disrupt drug trafficking networks to prevent drugs from penetrating deeper into the country.
Recent reports suggest a significant influx of drugs has led to a decrease in the price of crystal meth from 80,000 to 100,000 baht (US$2,375 to 2,970) per kilogramme to just 10,000 baht (US$300). This claim is currently under investigation.
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