Chiang Rai – On Friday Thai navy officers apprehended a 25-year-old Lao man smuggling 6 million methamphetamine pills in a small boat crossing the Mekong River near Chiang Saen. The suspect resisted arrest, suffering injuries during the capture, while authorities seized 20 sacks filled with drugs.
Pol. Col. Parnt Parntanaphakdi told CTN News that in the early hours of March 14, police from Ban Saew station in Chiang Rai’s Chiang Saen district responded to gunfire near the Thai-Lao border along the Mekong River.
The shots were reported near Pong Khong village in Mae Ngoen subdistrict.
When Pol. Col. Parnt and his team arrived they found navy officers from the Mekong Riverine Unit (MRU) stationed in Chang Saen, Chiang Rai actively working to apprehend a drug drug smuggler.
At the scene, they discovered a small motorized wooden boat containing over 20 sacks of methamphetamine pills, totalling around 6 million pills. A blue handcart was found about 50 metres from the riverbank, seemingly ready to transport the drugs from the boat onto Thai soil.
The boat operator, later identified as 25-year-old Mr. Chia from Bokeo Province, Laos, sustained injuries after resisting arrest. He was immediately rushed to Chiang Saen Hospital for treatment but was unable to provide a statement due to his condition.
Officials reported that prior to the incident, navy officers had been patrolling the Mekong River border between Chiang Saen and Chiang Khong districts in Chiang Rai. Around Pong Khong village, they spotted the small boat docking on the Thai side of the river.
When they approached, the suspect resisted, leading to a physical confrontation. Upon securing the area, they inspected the boat and found the large haul of drugs. Police are now conducting a thorough investigation of the seized items to identify connections to larger trafficking networks.
In recent efforts to combat drug smuggling, police in Region 5 have been cracking down on operations linked to Buncha, also known as “Pa Lee,” a Hmong kingpin suspected of trafficking drugs across the Thai-Lao border.
His network has been active in areas like Chiang Saen, Chiang Khong, Wiang Kaen, and as far as Phu Sang district in Phayao Province.
