CHIANG RAI – On Wednesday, police in Mae Fa Luang, Chiang Rai, carried out a coordinated search at two locations as part of a sting operation aimed at tackling drug-related issues and following up on a recent shooting case.
The team included local police, army personnel, and administrative officers who acted on court warrants based on evidence linking both addresses to the case where a man was shot.
At the first location, a 45-year-old woman, Ms Pimnipa, let officers search her home. Police found two mobile phone SIM cards and kept them as evidence. Nothing illegal was discovered.
At the second address, police found a man named Sitthipong inside. He ran out the back and escaped. Police asked a 25-year-old woman, Wimtharat, who lived in the home, to assist with the search.
Inside, police officers found a long-barrel shotgun with ammunition, as well as various valuable items. Seized items included:
- A Remington shotgun (serial number KT 4452760)
- Seventeen rounds of 12-gauge BULLETMASTER shotgun shells
- 1.7 million baht in cash
- Two gold necklaces
- Three bank books
- A white Toyota pickup truck (registration KCH 5508, Chiang Rai)
- Five mobile phone SIM cards
- A blue T-shirt belonging to Sitthipong
- Two green sacks containing wax paper
All evidence was taken to Mae Fa Luang Police Station for further checks under drug enforcement laws.
This operation followed an earlier investigation into a fatal shooting on May 20, 2025. On that day, police were called to a report of a man shot dead near Ban Mae Mo, Therd Thai, close to the Thai-Myanmar border. The victim, identified as Liche, about 33, held a non-citizen ID and lived in the area.
Police said the searches are part of ongoing efforts to address both violent crime and drug-related offences in Mae Fa Luang.
Meanwhile, officers from Border Patrol Police Company 335, working with the Chaiyanupap Task Force, stopped a drug shipment along the Chiang Dao border in Chiang Mai late at night. They seized 15 large sacks of methamphetamine pills, with a total of more than 2,000,000 pills.
The traffickers dropped the bags and ran into the forest as soon as they saw the police.
Police and soldiers patrolling the border between Thailand and Myanmar near Ban Mae Ja Nuea, in Chiang Dao district, spotted about 10 people moving quickly through the forest, carrying heavy sacks on their backs.
The officers announced themselves and attempted to search the group, but the suspects used the darkness and their knowledge of the area to escape. Police stayed in control of the area overnight and returned to search the scene in the morning.
They found 15 modified backpacks filled with methamphetamine pills. Eight sacks contained 200,000 pills each, totalling 1,600,000 pills. The other seven sacks had 100,000 pills each, adding another 700,000. The final count reached 2,300,000 pills.
Earlier, Border Patrol Region 3 had warned Company 335 about possible drug shipments in this area, from Ban Kaenoi to Ban Mae Ja Nuea. Officers set up patrols along known routes. Their preparation helped them intercept this large batch of drugs.
All seized drugs were handed over to investigators at Na Wai Police Station in Chiang Dao. Officers are now following up according to the law.
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