Drug Runners in Toyota SUV Nabbed with 2 Million Meth Pills

Police in southern Thailand have arrested 3 drug runners and seized 2 million meth pills seized after a 70-kilometer car chase in their Toyota SUV.

Chumphon Highway police reported they spotted a Toyota Fortuner with Bangkok plates that appeared to be heavily loaded heading towards Surat Thani province around 4am on Wednesday morning.

The Chumphon highway police gave chase and alerted highway police in neighbouring Surat Thani province and local police to stop the Toyota SUV.

Police in Surat Thani immediately set up a road checkpoint at Tambon Samor Thong in Tha Chana district. The Toyota Fortuner’s driver suddenly left the highway as highway police chased it toward the intersection, heading towards Tha Chana market.

Due to a lack of familiarity with the area, the driver reached a dead end at a bridge under repair over the Tha Chana railway in Tambon Samor Thong.

An officer in a highway patrol vehicle chased him as he attempted to escape. After 70km of pursuit, a Tha Chana police vehicle stopped him.

Two men and one woman were found inside the vehicle – Naris Phetkham, 21, of Kanchanaburi’s Sai Yok district; a 17-year-old girl from Songkhla’s Hat Yai district; and Wichita Klinkanha, 23, from Samut Prakan’s Bang Phli district.

Two million methamphetamine pills were found inside the Toyota SUV. The three suspects were taken to the local police station for questioning.

Police questioned Mr Naris, who said he had traveled from Bangkok to Hat Yai district to visit his children. He had been hired to transport the meth pills from Ayutthaya to a woman in Surat Thani province.

The job was his third, he said, and he received 40,000 baht per trip. He also said there was another vehicle involved in drug smuggling. A police officer learned that he had been released from jail two years ago on drug charges.

Police charged the three with collaborating to possess illicit drugs with the intent to sell. Tha Chana police station held all three of them in custody pending legal action while the drugs and the Toyota SUV were seized as evidence.

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