Crime
Royal Thai Navy Patrol Seizes 854 Kilograms of Marijuana
A Royal Thai Navy patrol has seized 854 kilograms of high-grade marijuana, worth about 10 million baht, found on the bank of the Mekong River in northeastern Thailand.
The Naval officers also seized a Toyota pickup truck and a fishing boat, both abandoned by the fleeing smugglers.
A Royal Thai Navy spokesperson said the haul of marijuana was discovered on the river bank at Ban Yang Nok Hor in Nakhon Phanom Province.
The Navy spokesperson said the high-grade marijuana was in 854 packages each weighing one kilogram each. Authorities believe the “grade A quality” marijuana was destined for delivery abroad through Southern Thailand.
Over the past week, more than 3 tons of marijuana have been seized in northeastern Thailand.
On Saturday, border patrol police seized 1,320 kilograms of high-grade marijuana from a minivan abandoned by a smuggler following a car chase.
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.