Two men were arrested and 400 kilogrammes of crystal methamphetamine seized by police after two vehicles were stopped at night on a back road near the border in Chiang Mai province.
The suspects were identified as Niranddon Raothao, 29, and Santi Raothao, 23, who are brothers living in Mae Wang district of Chiang Mai, Thai media reported.
They were detained at a narcotics suppression checkpoint set up about 11.30pm on Sunday on a road in Chiang Mai's Mae Suay district connecting to the main road linking Chiang Mai with Chiang Rai.
The brothers were using two vehicles, a motorcycle and a car, both with Chiang Mai licence plates. The drugs were found hidden in 16 bags.
The two suspects reportedly confessed to being hired by a Hmong man to transport the drugs from an area about 19 kilometres inside the Thai-Lao border line in Chiang Rai’s Chiang Khong district.
Police said the crystal methamphetamine was believed to have been supplied by a group of Lahu people in a neighbouring country just opposite Chiang Mai, the reports said.
The street value of the seized drugs was estimated at 1 million baht/kg at the border line.
The police investigation was continuing.