CHIANG RAI – A collaboration of military and police forces tracked a man from the border area before arresting him at the Big-C shopping centre in Bandu Chiang Rai. The suspect, from Bang Pa-in, was driving a van packed with 39 sacks containing no less than eight million methamphetamine pills. He is now being interrogated for further investigation.
Today, December 6th, officers from the Pha Muang Task Force’s mobile unit, the Tappajatak Task Force, the Royal Thai Army’s intelligence unit, the Narcotics Suppression Police (NSB), the Chiang Rai Narcotics Suppression Unit (NPS), and Chiang Rai’s Ban Du police station detained Mr Peerakorn, 35.
He is a resident of Ban Len subdistrict, Bang Pa-in district, Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya province. Authorities seized a white Honda Spada van, registered in Khon Kaen, and approximately eight million methamphetamine pills. Formal charges have been brought against him.
The night before, at about 5:00 PM on 5 December, officials received intelligence that a large quantity of narcotics would be transported from the Chiang Rai border deeper into the country via the Mueang Chiang Rai district. Officers began monitoring movements.
They soon spotted the suspect van driving along Phaholyothin Road. After a significant period, the van drove back into Ban Du subdistrict, Mueang Chiang Rai, and parked in the car park of a Big-C department store in Ban Du.
Officers, who had surrounded the area, moved in to inspect the vehicle. They found Mr Peerakorn driving and, upon requesting a search, discovered numerous black plastic bags stored on the seats.
Opening the bags revealed 39 sacks. Inside these sacks, they found an estimated eight million methamphetamine pills. Mr Peerakorn was immediately arrested and taken into custody for legal processing and further investigation.
Border Police Find Five Million Pills in Abandoned Ford Pickup
A border patrol unit spotted a Ford pickup driving late at night in the mountains. When asked to stop, the driver sped off before abandoning the truck. A search revealed the vehicle was completely loaded with over five million methamphetamine pills.
Also today, officials from the Mae Fa Luang District Narcotics Suppression Centre, the Border Patrol Police (BPP) Company 327, Thai Ranger Company 3109 (Pha Muang Task Force), and other related agencies seized a large volume of methamphetamine pills. This followed a patrol operation late on the evening of 5 December.
Their team was overseeing the border stretch between Thailand and Myanmar, extending into the Mae Salong Nai subdistrict, Mae Fa Luang district, Chiang Rai. While patrolling near the turn-off for Mae Salong Waterfall National Park, at Sam Sung village, Moo 28, Mae Salong Nai, they noticed a suspicious pickup truck travelling on the forest road. Feeling uneasy about the vehicle, officers motioned for it to stop.
Instead of stopping, the driver accelerated, heading towards the park entrance. Officers pursued the vehicle for roughly 100 metres until the driver abruptly stopped, jumped out, and fled into the darkness. During his escape, the driver fired a firearm, the type unknown, to clear his path. Since no officer was hit, everyone remained safe.
Upon checking the abandoned white Ford Ranger pickup (Chiang Rai registration), officers found the truck bed full of sacks, covered by a black tarpaulin, and secured with ropes. Additionally, the driver’s seat, passenger seat, and rear seating areas were crammed with these sacks. Soil and leaves were stuck to the sacks, suggesting they had recently been collected from a hidden storage spot.
Authorities opened the sacks, confirming they contained narcotics, specifically methamphetamine pills, totalling around 5,500,000 pills. The officers seized the Ford Ranger and the drugs as evidence. They are now working to identify the individual responsible and track down any associates involved in the operation.
