Shootout in Chiang Rai forest | Bangkok Post: learning

About crime & drug smuggling

Drug smugglers killed in gunfight as they pass through forest from Burma to Thailand near Maesai.

(Photos: Teerawat Kamtida)

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Crimes

8 drug smugglers killed in border fight

16/07/2012

CHIANG RAI - Eight drug traffickers were killed in a border shootout with soldiers and police early Monday morning, the 3rd Army Pha Muang Task Force commander, Somsak Nilbanjerdkul, said on Monday.

Maj Gen Somsak said his force received a report that a group of armed men were smuggling illegal drugs from a "neighbouring country" into the northern border province.

A team of more than 50 soldiers and police was assembled to patrol the forest areas in tambon Wiang Phang Kham in Chiang Rai's Mae Sai district, he said.

About 5.30am today, the team spied about a dozen people, all carrying weapons, walking in line through the forest.

They surrounded them, but they refused to be searched and a fight then broke out. The shooting lasted about 15 minutes.

The team waited until daylight to search the scene, fearing they might be attacked if they moved forward in the dark.

About 8.30am police reinforcements, led by national police chief Priewpan Damapong, arrived to inspect the area.

They found eight bodies and nine bags containing 550,000 methamphetamine pills, or yaba, and 70 kilogrammes of crystal methamphetamine, or ice, worth more than 500 million baht in total. The crystal meth was hidden in teabags.

They also found three AKA rifles, one 9mm handgun and a .22 pistol.

Trails of blood were also discovered at the scene, leading to the neighbouring country.

The security forces suffered no casualties, Maj Gen Somsak said.

(Source: Bangkok Post, Crimes, 8 drug smugglers killed in border fight, 16/07/2012, link)


Drug Enforcement Vocabulary

smuggling - secretly and illegally taking goods or people into or out of a country ลักลอบขนสินค้าหรือคนเข้าและออกจากประเทศอย่างผิดกฎหมาย
smuggler - a person who smuggles illegal goods from one country to another 

drug smugglers - people who bring illegal drugs into the country (See Wikipedia)
drug traffickers - same as "drug smugglers"

drug enforcement - actions by police and military to stop and catch drug smugglers

border - the official line separating two areas, regions or countries เขตแดน อาณาเขต
border fight

shootout - a fight using guns
border shootout

8 drug smugglers killed in border fight

force - a group of soldiers
task force - a group of people chosen to deal with some special problem or military situation

commander - a police officer of high rank ผู้บังคับบัญชา
task force commander

Eight drug traffickers were killed in a border shootout with soldiers and police early Monday morning, the 3rd Army Pha Muang Task Force commander, Somsak Nilbanjerdkul, said on Monday.

armed - carrying guns or other weapons ติดอาวุธ
armed men

illegal - against the law ผิดกฎหมาย, นอกกฎหมาย
smuggling illegal drugs

Maj Gen Somsak said his force received a report that a group of armed men were smuggling illegal drugs from a "neighbouring country" into the northern border province.

assembled - people gathered together in one place

patrol - a group of people or vehicles that move around a place in order to prevent trouble or crime ตรวจการ
patrol forest areas

A team of more than 50 soldiers and police was assembled to patrol the forest areas in tambon Wiang Phang Kham in Chiang Rai's Mae Sai district, he said.

spied - see something (that is difficult to see)
spied about a dozen people

walking in line - people walking along a small narrow path with one person in front, then another and another behind them, etc
walking in line through the forest

About 5.30am today, the team spied about a dozen people, all carrying weapons, walking in line through the forest.

refused - to say no, they will not do or do not accept
refused to be searched

fighting broke out - fighting started

They surrounded them, but they refused to be searched and a fight then broke out. The shooting lasted about 15 minutes.

search - to look somewhere carefully in order to find something ค้นหา
search the scene

The team waited until daylight to search the scene, fearing they might be attacked if they moved forward in the dark.

reinforcements - extra police officers or soldiers who go to help an existing group police officers or soldiers การระดมกำลัง

inspect - to look at something carefully ตรวจสอบ
inspect the area

About 8.30am police reinforcements, led by national police chief Priewpan Damapong, arrived to inspect the area. They found eight bodies and nine bags containing 550,000 methamphetamine pills, or yaba, and 70 kilogrammes of crystal methamphetamine, or ice, worth more than 500 million baht in total. The crystal meth was hidden in teabags.

rifle - a large gun with a long barrel that you hold against your shoulder to fire (See Wikipedia)
 
assault rifle - an automatic rifle that uses a cartridge and  detachable magazine of bullets,  "the standard infantry weapons in most modern armies (See Wikipedia)

AKA rifles - a Russian-made automatic assault rifle that can fire many bullets rapidly (See Wikipedia)

pistol - a small gun that you hold in one hand ปืนพก,ปืนสั้น

They also found three AKA rifles, one 9mm handgun and a .22 pistol.

trail - marks left a person or people that show where they have been (the path they traveled along)
trails of blood - marks of blood on the ground that show where an injured person went

security - the need to provide safety from attack, harm or damage ความปลอดภัย
security forces - military; army 

casualties - deaths and injuries ผู้บาดเจ็บ เสียชีวิต
suffered no casualties - there were no people injured or killed

Trails of blood were also discovered at the scene, leading to the neighbouring country. The security forces suffered no casualties, Maj Gen Somsak said.

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