LAMPANG – A police informant who took part in a drug bust in Thoen, Lampang, has been found dead after an attempt to help officers catch fleeing suspects. The man fell into the fast-moving Mae Mok stream and disappeared underwater.
The man was working with officers from Wiang Mok Police Station on a sting operation targeting local drug traffickers. When suspects realized they were about to be caught, they jumped into the stream to escape. The informant followed, trying to help make the arrest, but was swept away by the current and vanished before the eyes of the police.
Search and rescue teams, including divers from Lampang’s rescue foundation, worked late into the night but were unable to locate him. The operation was paused after midnight. In the meantime, officers managed to apprehend all members of the drug gang involved in the case.
On Sunday, August 17, residents informed R.T.Phoom Surintha, Deputy Inspector of Wiang Mok Police Station, that they had discovered a body about 500 metres from where the man had disappeared.
Officials, along with rescue workers and villagers, rushed to the scene. They found the body of Nattapong Saochan, 46, from Chiang Mai, caught in a patch of grass in the middle of the stream.
His family invited a monk to perform prayers at the site before the body was retrieved. It was then sent to Thoen Hospital for further examination, with many locals gathering at the scene. This incident serves as a sobering reminder of the risks involved in police operations and the dedication of those who offer their help.
