CHIANG RAI – In the early hours, police in Chiang Rai gave chase after a Bangkok-registered car sped through a checkpoint. The pursuit ended when the vehicle crashed into road barriers at a construction site for the Den Chai-Chiang Khong railway.
Inside, officers discovered over 100 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine. The driver managed to escape.
On 12 August, officers from the Yothin Patrol, Muang Chiang Rai Police Station, were manning a checkpoint as part of the No Drugs No Dealers campaign. The checkpoint was set up on Sri Wiang Road, near Phu Kham Village in Rop Wiang Sub-District, Muang Chiang Rai. This road connects the city with the eastern bypass.
Around 1 am, the police spotted a black Toyota Avanza with Bangkok plates heading towards the bypass. Officers signalled for the car to stop for inspection. Instead of stopping, the driver accelerated through the checkpoint and onto Highway 1233 towards Wiang Chai. Police patrols followed closely behind.
The chase continued until the car reached a construction area for the Den Chai–Chiang Rai–Chiang Khong railway, at the border between Rob Wiang and Wiang Chai. There, the car lost control and hit a roadside barrier, coming to a halt with significant damage.
When police officers reached the scene, the driver had already abandoned the car and fled on foot, leaving the vehicle blocking the road. A search of the car found four large sacks, some torn open from the collision.
Inside, there were bundles wrapped in green tea packaging. On inspection, these were found to contain crystal meth weighing about 110 kilograms. Police seized the drugs and are now searching for the driver.
