Police and soldiers from the Pha Muang Task Force seized 1,200kg of crystal meth after a drug courier abandoned his truck in Mae Fah Luang District, Chiang Rai.
Lt. Col. Anuwat Panyanant, Commander of the Pha Muang Task Force, told a press briefing that at approximately 02.30 a.m. on December 26, officers spotted a white Isuzu pickup truck carrying goods down the mountain towards Chiang Rai.
They signaled the driver to stop for inspection, but he sped through the checkpoint, forcing them to chase him for approximately 2 kilometers. They found the truck abandoned on the side of the road. The driver had escaped into the darkness of the forest.
Officers inspected the back of the pickup truck and found it was loaded with 44 sacks containing approximately 25-35 kilograms of crystal meth. The total weight of the crystal meth was approximately 1,200 kilograms.
Lt. Col. Anuwat said the truck was taken to the Mae Fah Luang Police Station, where relevant agencies examined the evidence and expanded their investigation to track down the driver for prosecution.
He said from October 1 to December 25, 2024, there have been 9 clashes with armed groups in the border areas, 52 arrests, 61 million methamphetamine pills, 2,700 kilograms of ice, 140 kilograms of heroin, 802 kilograms of ketamine and more than 800 tons of chemicals have been seized in Chiang Rai and the surrounding provinces.
