Chiang Mai – Police and military units chased down a convoy suspected of smuggling over half a tonne of crystal meth near the Thai-Myanmar border in Chiang Dao. Officers arrested two men and confiscated 640 kilograms of drugs, but the ringleader managed to escape.
On 27 April, officers from the Narcotics Suppression Bureau (NSB) launched an operation after receiving a tip that a large shipment of drugs would be moved from the Thailand-Myanmar border, near Ban Arunothai in Muang Na, Chiang Dao, Chiang Mai.
The shipment was to travel along the road from Pak Thang Pha Ma to Ban Huai Ja Khan in Ping Khong, Chiang Dao, on its way further into the country. Police worked with local officers and the Northern Border Drug and Precursor Chemical Suppression Command to set up roadblocks.
The team spotted a grey Toyota pickup with Chiang Mai plates and a Honda motorcycle following behind. Both vehicles matched the description from the tip-off, so officers signalled them to stop.
As police moved in, the pickup driver suddenly swerved off the road, jumped out, and ran away. Officers searched the vehicle and found another man, later identified as Mr. Asa, aged 34, still inside.
The rider of the motorcycle, Mr. Suranat, 27, was also stopped. Both men are from Muang Na, Chiang Dao, Chiang Mai.
Officers checked the back of the pickup and found 32 large rice sacks covered with a blue tarp. Each sack contained smaller bags of crystal meth, weighing around 20 kilograms each. The total haul came to about 640 kilograms of crystal meth.
Police arrested both men and later learned that the escaped driver was the group leader, Mr. Wallop, a resident of Chiang Dao. He had been under suspicion for drug smuggling along the border for some time.
Both arrested men now face charges for jointly possessing and trafficking a type 1 narcotic (methamphetamine/ice) with intent to sell without permission, which endangers public safety and national security. The suspects and the drugs were handed over to investigators at NSB3, and efforts continue to track down the main suspect.
Drug Seizure in Chiang Rai
On Saturday, officers from the border police and the Pha Muang Task Force in Mae Fa Luang district, Chiang Rai, carried out a major drug bust, seizing approximately 5,400,000 methamphetamine pills.
Late at night, officials spotted a group of about 20 people moving rucksacks made from fertiliser sacks, wrapped in black plastic, to a white Isuzu MU-X parked on a border road. Security volunteers signalled for a search, but the group fired guns at officers.
The clash lasted over ten minutes, with officers taking cover and returning fire. No officers were hurt.
After the shooting stopped, the suspects escaped into the forest, likely crossing back into Myanmar. Officers searched the area and found two fertiliser sacks containing about 400,000 methamphetamine pills, a black bag with a 7.62mm magazine and bullets, a power bank, and a pair of black sandals.
The suspects’ vehicle drove away but was stopped by officers about three kilometres from the scene. The driver abandoned the car and fled into the forest. Inside, officers found 25 more fertiliser sacks, also packed with methamphetamine.
In total, authorities seized 27 sacks holding about 5,400,000 methamphetamine tablets.
Because of the risk of armed groups trying to recover the drugs, officials called for backup from the military, border patrol police, and local police. The seized drugs were secured at the Mae Fa Luang District Police Station.
