Crime
Border Patrol Seize 1,320 Kilograms of High-Grade Marijuana
Border patrol police in northeastern Thailand have seized 1,320 kilograms of high-grade marijuana in an abandoned minivan following a police chase in the early hours of Saturday.
Officers manning a road checkpoint in northeastern Thailand’s Nakhon Phanom province signaled a minivan to stop for a search, but the driver sped through the checkpoint, prompting police to give chase.
A police spokesperson said officers fired shots at the tires of the minivan, bringing the vehicle to a halt. The driver immediately abandoned the minivan and fled under the cover of darkness.
When police examined the minivan they found 1,320 bricks of compressed high-grade marijuana. Each brick weighed one kilogram, the police spokesperson said.
Border patrol authorities believe the seized marijuana was smuggled from Laos and was destined to be shipped abroad through southern Thailand. Police estimated the haul to be worth at least 10 million baht.
Authorities are also examining ownership documents of the minivan to find out the driver. Since the beginning of this year, more than five tons of high-grade marijuana have been seized in northeastern Thailand.
In 2019, Thailand became the first Southeast Asian country to legalize medical marijuana. The law permits and regulates the use of medical marijuana.
Thailand passed the Narcotics Act (No. 7) B.E. 2562 (A.D. 2019) which allows the use of cannabis for medical and research purposes.
