Authorities seized what was believed to be the biggest-ever drug haul in Nakhon Sawan province, while in Surat Thani province, police arrested a suspect with drugs worth 16 million baht.
Police and soldiers chased a silver Nissan pick-up truck for about five kilometres in Payuha Khiri district, Nakhon Sawan, on Sunday morning after it avoided their checkpoint on Phahon Yothin Highway.
After one of the truck's tyres ran flat, the vehicle was abandoned in front of a local administration organisation office in tambon Sa Talay. Two suspects fled the vehicle into thick forest, pursued by about 100 policemen, soldiers and volunteers. Sniffer dogs and a drone were deployed, but after several hours the suspects remained at large on Sunday evening.
On the truck officials found 20 huge sacks of suspected methamphetamine and ketamine in what was believed would be the narcotics haul ever recorded in the central plain province. The sacks were sent to the Narcotic Suppression Bureau for examination.
Elsewhere on Sunday, in the southern province of Surat Thani Pol Lt Col Chavalit Kangkarat, commander of Border Patrol Police Unit 417, told the press that Suriyan Yendaeng, 29, was arrested with 2.42 kilogrammes of crystal methamphetamine, or "ice", along with 114,000 speed pills, altogether worth 16.4 million baht.
Police had set up a sting operation to arrest the suspect, believed to be a major drug dealer. They asked him to deliver 50g of "ice" to a location on a road in tambon Wat Pradu of Muang district on Friday, where he was arrested.
Authorities later found the remaining narcotics in searches at two rented houses in tambon Wat Pradu.
Pol Lt Col Chavalit said the suspect had received the illicit drug from Bangkok.
A load of suspected narcotics is seen on a pickup truck stopped in Nakhon Sawan province. (Photo by Chalit Pumruang)
Border patrol police stand behind a suspect and illicit drugs worth about 16 million baht in Surat Thani province on Sunday. (Photo by Supapong Chaolan)