Drug smuggler killed, 4.2 million meth pills seized in Chiang Rai shootout
Military vigilance thwarts massive haul
In Chiang Rai‘s Mae Fah Luang district, a drug smuggler was killed and 4.2 million methamphetamine pills were seized following a 10-minute exchange of gunfire between armed traffickers and an army patrol early on June 6.
Soldiers from the Phra Chao Taksin special units of the Pha Muang task force encountered a group of 15 to 20 men carrying rucksacks in a forest near Ban Pang Nun Phatthana in tambon Mae Fah Luang around 5.15am. The men opened fire when the soldiers attempted to stop them for a search, leading to a brief shootout.
Once the gunfire ceased, the soldiers discovered 21 sacks, each containing 200,000 methamphetamine pills. One smuggler was found dead, while the others had escaped. The seized drugs were transferred to the Mae Fah Luang Police Station for further legal action, according to Major General Kidakorn Chantra, commander of the Pha Muang task force, reported Bangkok Post.
Since October 1 last year, Thai security forces have intercepted 285 drug trafficking operations, resulting in the arrest of 299 suspects and the seizure of significant amounts of illicit drugs valued at approximately 26.4 billion baht (US$805 million) if sold in the Bangkok area.
In similar news, Thai security officials detained two people in separate raids across different provinces, confiscating 300 kilograms of crystal meth and 3 million methamphetamine tablets on May 21.
The operations were carried out under the coordination of the Eastern Border Narcotics Suppression and Prevention Command Unit (NBYSD24), headed by Lieutenant General Boonsin Phadklang, commander of the 2nd Army Region.
The initial arrest took place at around 8.30pm in Bueng Kan province, where a combined team from the 2108th Task Force Company, the Mekong Riverine Security Unit, Bueng Kan Provincial Police, and Border Patrol Police Company 244 acted on tips. They had been alerted about drug traffickers transporting narcotics from Laos into the Ban Nong Doen Tha area of Bueng Khla district.
When officers spotted a suspicious vehicle, they tried to stop it, but the driver sped off, leading to a high-speed pursuit.
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