Chiang Rai cops needle out 126kg heroin in Mae Sai drug bust

A significant drug bust occurred in Chiang Rai yesterday where police seized over 126 kilogrammes of heroin following a confrontation between a task force and a drug smuggling group near the Mae Sai border.

Police Colonel Anuwat Panyanant, Commander of the Task Force Thap Chao Tak, Pha Mueang Force, announced the details of the operation during a press conference.

The operation was initiated based on intelligence reports indicating that a drug trafficking network was attempting to smuggle heroin from a neighbouring country into Thailand via the Mae Sai district. The Pha Mueang Force had been monitoring the border closely when, around 1.30am yesterday, October 16, task force members on patrol observed a group of five to 10 suspicious individuals near the border.

When the officers moved in to search the group, the suspects reportedly opened fire, resulting in a gunfight that lasted approximately five minutes. The suspects eventually fled the scene, prompting the task force to call in additional reinforcements to secure the area.

By 7am, police conducted a thorough inspection and found six modified backpacks containing a total of 126 kilogrammes of heroin. The seized drugs have been handed over to Ko Chang police for further investigation and legal proceedings, said Pol. Col. Anuwat.

“The drug smuggling network involved is connected to a minority group from a neighbouring country. It is highly probable that the heroin was intended to be shipped through Thailand to a third country.”

Pol. Col. Anuwat noted that the traffickers took advantage of the fact that many security personnel were preoccupied with disaster recovery efforts following the recent flooding in Chiang Rai. However, the Pha Mueang Force maintained stringent border controls to prevent illegal activities despite these challenges, reported Pattaya News.

In related news, a South Korean man, previously deported from Thailand, was caught sneaking back into the country and living in Pattaya for weeks, with heroin syringes found scattered in his apartment. The shocking arrest raised eyebrows, with questions swirling about his alleged involvement in drug trafficking.