Authorities in Chiang Rai have seized 1,500 kilograms of crystal meth (Ya Ice) after a gun fight with a drug trafficking gang using a fake military truck to transport the drugs. The confrontation occurred round 3 a.m., leaving two suspects injured.
Officials also seized weapons, explosives, and arrested seven individuals connected to the operation.
Pol. Lt. Gen. Krittapol Yee-Sakhon of Region 5 Police and Maj. Gen. Kidakorn Chantra of the Pha Muang Task Force, told a press briefing that they coordinated a joint operation to investigate the suspected trafficking route.
The operation, consisting of police, military, and anti-drug units, focused on a checkpoint near the Santi Khiri village in Mae Salong Nok, Mae Fa Luang District of Chiang Rai Province.
Pol. Lt. Gen. Krittapol said they had been tracking the gang, after a tip-off that they would be smuggling large quantities of drugs from the Thailand-Myanmar border through Mae Salong Nok.
At around 3 a.m., a green six-wheeled Isuzu truck, disguised with fake military markings, was spotted parked on a roadside. Shortly after, a white Ford pickup truck with Bangkok red plates arrived.
When task force officials approached to inspect, the occupants of the pickup opened fired at them, leading to a shootout lasting about 10 minutes.
Once the gunfire ceased, all officers were unharmed. Three suspects—two men and one woman—were apprehended from the pickup. Two of the men sustained injuries and were immediately taken to the hospital. Officials recovered two 9mm pistols from the vehicle.
A search of the six-wheeled truck revealed 15 large fuel drums stuffed with crystal methamphetamine, weighing an estimated 1,500 kilograms. Authorities planned to verify the exact weight later by inspecting each container individually.
Further investigations revealed that additional gang members had fled downhill toward Mae Salong Nai in Mae Fa Luang District, heading for Phaholyothin Road in Mae Chan District. Police pursued and intercepted a Toyota pickup truck at the Akha Sam Yaek checkpoint.
Four men inside were detained, bringing the total number of arrested suspects to seven.
Expanding the operation, officials searched a warehouse linked to the network. There, they discovered more contraband, including AK rifles, ammunition, and hand grenades. Bomb squad experts were called in to secure the site.
Authorities plan to release detailed findings at a press conference in Chiang Rai on March 9.
