Huge Cache of Methamphetamine Pill Seized in Northeastern Thailand

Police in northeaster Thailand have seized 8 million methamphetamine pills and 265 kilograms of crystal meth in Bung Kan province. One person was arrested, in a joint police-military operation on Tuesday night.

Pol Lt Gen Yanyong Vej-osoth, commissioner of the Provincial Police Region 4, said there were two separate operations, both based on intelligence reports

A team of police and soldiers had spotted a car stopped at a boat landing on the Mekong river in tambon Khok Kong, Muang district. Three or four men were loadng sacks from the river bank into the car.

The patrol moved in to investigate and the men fled into the night. They managed to detain one of them, Boontham Rakthong. Eight sacks containing 3 million methamphetamine pills were found in the car.

About the same time, another patrol followed a pickup truck along Highway 212. When the pickup stopped near Ban Kham Muen in tambon Khaisi of Muang district, a group of men appeared from the roadside and loaded some boxes onto the vehicle.

When the patrol moved in to investigate, the men fled. They left behind 5 million meth pills and 265kg of crystal meth, or ice. Pol Lt Gen Yanyong said the drugs were believed to be destined for the South.

High grade marijuana seized

Meanwhile, border police have seized 480 kilograms of high grade marijuana in Northeastern Thailand’s Nakhon Phanom province. Border police said the marijuana was found in a routine roadside search.

Pol Lt Col Sompop Onsin, of the Border Patrol Police said at a press briefing on Sunday that the car was intercepted on a road near Ban Khok Sawang in tambon That Phanom Nua.

The car driver, Likit Boonprasit, 25, from Bung Hua Tha village in That Phanom district, was detained by border police. In the car were 12 fertiliser sacks containing 480 1kg bricks of high grade compressed marijuana.

Mr Likit said he was to be paid 30,000 baht to deliver the marijuana to Bangkok from That Phanom district. He did not know the exact destinations as he was supposed to receive orders on the telephone while on the way to Bangkok.

He said the marijuana had been smuggled across the Mekong river in long-tail boats from Laos.