Police in northern Thailand’s Lampang, province have arrested the driver and seized 172,200 meth pills and about 70 kilos of crystal meth. The drugs were found during a search of his pickup at a drug road checkpoint in Lampang.
Pol Maj Gen Anucha Uamcharoen, said the truck told reporters that the pickup was loaded with vegetables enclosed in an steel cage. Police discovered a large sack hidden under the vegetables.
The sack contained 172,000 meth pills and also 35 packages of crystal meth, weighing about 70kg in total. Pol Maj Gen Anucha said the driugs had a street value about 100 million baht.
The driver allegedly confessed he was transporting the drugs from Chiang Rai to central Thailand.
He was taken to a Lampang police station for further legal action. Consequently he was initially charged with transporting illegal drugs with intent to sell, according to Thai media.
Meth seizure in Chiang Rai Province
Three weeks ago 3 young men were arrested in an operation carried out by soldiers from the Pha Muang task force in Bandu, Chiang Rai. Authorities seized 13 sacks containing 1.7 million speed pills.
Col Chatree Sa-nguantham of the Pha Muang task force told Thai media that soldiers were deployed to the Nong Bua reservoir in Bandu at around 10.30pm on Friday following a tip-off. The informant told authorities drugs were going to be smuggled from Mae Sai district to an area near the reservoir.
Soldiers spotted a white Toyota SUC parked near the reservoir, with three men standing near it. Consequently the soldiers asked to conduct a search and found 13 sacks inside.
The suspects were identified as Apirak Homros, 26, of Sankhaburi district in Chai Nat; Takeshi Shinoda, 23, of Mae Taeng district in Chiang Mai; and Sarawut Jariyakitwanchai, 26, of Wiang Chai district in Chiang Rai.
