Rangers kill 7 drug smugglers in clash near border

Rangers kill 7 drug smugglers in clash near border

Rangers check out one of the seven drug couriers killed in the gunfight in a remote border area of Chiang Mai province on Thursday morning. (Photos by Cheewin Sattha)
Rangers check out one of the seven drug couriers killed in the gunfight in a remote border area of Chiang Mai province on Thursday morning. (Photos by Cheewin Sattha)

CHIANG MAI – Army rangers killed seven drug couriers and seized 10 rucksacks containing methamphetamine and heroin in a clash with traffickers near the border in Mae Ai district shortly before dawn on Thursday.

A 12-member patrol from the 3024th Operations Unit of the Pha Muang Force spotted 15-20 men, some carrying  guns and rucksacks, in a forested area near Ban Egor-arbae village in tambon Tah Ton about 5am. 

The rangers signaled them to stop for a search, but were met with a hail of bullets. A 15-minute gunfight followed. The patrol cleared the area later in the morning and found seven dead men, an AK-47 assault rifle and 10 rucksacks - four containing a total of 554,000 methamphetamine pills and six containing 43 plastic bags of heroin with the infamous “Double UO Globe” brand on them and the words “100% pure” in Chinese characters.

The combined weight of the heroin was 15 kilogrammes. The rangers also found 1kg of raw opium. 

The security patrol believed some of the fleeing smugglers had also been wounded as they found blood along a trail leading deeper into the bush. Additional patrols were deployed to the area to search for them. 

Rangers have been patrolling the area since receiving information smugglers planned to bring a caravan of drugs through there to the neighbouring district of Mae Chan in Chiang Rai province either late last week or this week.

Maj Gen Jiradetch Kamolpetch, commander of the Pha Muang Force who flew to the scene by helicopter, said the rangers suffered no injuries in the firefight.

Below, photographs taken at the scene of the clash. 

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