Police Seize 5 Million Meth Pills on Chiang Rai-Chiang Mai Highway

Meanwhile, a suspect in the seizure of 10 kilograms of crystal meth and 1 million meth pills has been arrested in Southern Thailand’s Songkhla after fleeing into a swamp to evade arrest.Mr Mongkol Sangchaeng, 53 was wanted under a warrant Provincial Police Region 9 commissioner Pol Lt Gen Ronnasilp Pusara said on Wednesday.

Pol Lt Gen Ronnasilp told reporters that on April 15, Mr Mongkol was travelling in a black Honda Accord, accompanied by his girlfriend her two-year-old daughter. The vehicle crashed into a roadside railing on the main highway in Tham Phannara district of Nakhon Si Thammarat.

Mr Mongkol, his girlfriend and her daughter were seen fleeing in a white Mazda sedan, abandoning the immobilized Honda Accord. Police recovered 10kg of crystal meth and about 1 million meth pills in the crashed Honda Accord.

His girlfriend surrendered to police, and on April 16 the Thung Song Court approved a police warrant for the arrest of Mr Mongkol.

Investigators traced Mr Mongkol to a hut at Ban Khok Rai in tambon Phawong of Songkhla’s Muang district, and moved in to arrest him on Wednesday morning.

Mr Mongkol tried to escape by running into a nearby swamp, but was caught.

Pol Lt Gen Ronnasilp said the suspect has a criminal record as a drug dealer and had been arrested and jailed four times since 1987.