Police in northern Thailand’s Chiang Rai Province has seized 3.8 million meth pills and arrested an assistant village chief for suspected drug trafficking in Mae Chan district.
Pol Maj Gen Chinawich Wichaithanapat, commander of the Chiang Rai provincial police told CTN News that the assistant village chief of Ban Pha Bue in Mae Fa Luang district was caught with 3.8 million speed pills and 1kg of ketamine.
Chiang Rai Police were following a tip-off that a large number of meth pills would be transported from the Thai-Myanmar border through the Mae Fa Luang district. Due to the tip-off, manned checkpoints were set up along the route.
Police at a manned checkpoint spotted three vehicles travelling down from Doi Tung mountain to the main Phahon Yothin Road in Mae Chan district.
As the three vehicles reached a village road in tambon Mae Rai, Chiang Rai police stopped the vehicles for a search. However, the drivers of two of the vehicles managed to flee.
Searching the last vehicle, Chiang Rai police found the drugs, a handgun and ATM cards. The meth pills were allegedly linked to a trafficking syndicate based in Myanmar opposite Mae Fah Luang district, police said.
The driver was charged with illegally possessing narcotics with the intent to sell, also carrying a firearm in public without legal authority.
