CHIANG RAI – A narcotics suppression patrol intercepted a major drug shipment along the Mekong River near the Thai-Lao border after spotting a suspicious pickup truck parked on the riverbank late at night.
On February 19, naval officers from the Mekong River Peacekeeping Unit (Narcotics Suppression) in Chiang Rai reported they had seized a large amount of methamphetamine tablets, along with one vehicle believed to be used for transport.
The operation followed a patrol that began around 10:00 p.m. on February 18.
Earlier that night, the commander of the unit assigned officers from the Chiang Saen boat station to patrol the riverbank in Chiang Saen district. The team focused on preventing illegal crossings and stopping drug smuggling that may come in through the Mekong.
As the patrol moved through a wooded stretch near Ban Saeo village, officers noticed an Isuzu pickup fitted with a steel cargo frame parked in a way that raised suspicion. When they approached, they found the driver’s door open, but no one inside. The driver had already fled into the darkness.
Officers then searched the truck bed and found it packed with black plastic bags filled with straw sacks. After opening them, they discovered methamphetamine tablets. Each bundle held about 200,000 pills. In total, officers counted roughly 9,000,000 meth pills.
Officials seized the drugs and the pickup truck as evidence and transported everything to the Chiang Rai unit office. They are now coordinating with related agencies to expand the investigation and pursue legal action.
