Chiang Rai – On Wednesday, Police stopped a major transport of crystal meth, commonly known as ice, weighing 578 kilograms. The drugs were found packed in over 20 large sacks inside a white SUV, believed to be connected to the Red Wa drug network along the Mae Sai border.
Police received a tip-off that traffickers would move drugs from the border near Mae Sai and Chiang Saen into the city.
Acting on a tip-off, a team led by Pol. Lt. Col. Phanrawee Wongchai and other local officers planned to intercept a group smuggling drugs from the Mae Sai border area into the country.
Just before midnight, they spotted a white Isuzu D-Max pickup with Bangkok plates pull up next to a white Mitsubishi SUV with Chiang Rai plates, near the provincial administration office in Chiang Rai.
When the Police moved in to investigate, a man ran back to the Isuzu D-Max pickup and sped off, ramming a police car in the process and abandoning the Mitsubishi SUV.
The suspects took off at high speed along the main road toward Wiang Chai District, escaping police pursuit.
When police searched the abandoned Mitsubishi, they found 20 large sacks inside, wrapped in black plastic bags. Each sack contained vacuum-sealed tea packages—578 in total. Inside those were bundles of crystal meth, with a total weight of 623.24 kilograms including packaging.
The following morning, police tracked the Isuzu D-Max pickup with Bangkok licence plates and found it abandoned by the roadside, approximately 5 kilometres away from the provincial administration office.
Pol. Lt. Col. Phanrawee said the police are continuing their investigation to find everyone involved in this smuggling attempt.
Related News:
Police Announce Two Major Drug Busts in Northern Thailand
Geoff Thomas is an award winning journalist known for his sharp insights and no-nonsense reporting style. Over the years he has worked for Reuters and the Canadian Press covering everything from political scandals to human interest stories. He brings a clear and direct approach to his work.
