Fleeing drug couriers crash into canal

Fleeing drug couriers crash into canal

Police thoroughly searched the SUV after it was hauled from the canal it crashed into on Wednesday, ending the pursuit. It was later towed to Sikhiu police station. (Photo: Prasit Tangprasert)
Police thoroughly searched the SUV after it was hauled from the canal it crashed into on Wednesday, ending the pursuit. It was later towed to Sikhiu police station. (Photo: Prasit Tangprasert)

NAKHON RATCHASIMA: A man and a woman were arrested and a large amount of marijuana seized after their fleeing car crashed into a canal in Sikhiu district, ending a police pursuit, on Wednesday morning

About 5am, police at a drug checkpoint on the Mitrapap highway in Sikhiu district signalled an Isuzu Mu-X sport utility vehicle to stop for a search, Pol Lt Col Chidchanok Sapying, deputy commander of the 2nd Narcotic Suppression Sub-Division, said.

The SUV sped past the checkpoint, and police chased them.

After passing a Charoen Pokphand factory at Ban Non Thong, the vehicle made a U-turn and fled in the direction of Ban Nam Mao. As it neared the village, the SUV ran off the highway and ended up in a canal.

A woman passenger climbed up from the canal and surrendered to police who arrived shortly afterward.

The male driver kept swimming in the canal, hoping to escape, but finally surrendered after about an hour in the water.

The man was later identified as Narawich Sonthirat, 40, and the woman as Ratima Wangkhahat, 41, both from Buntharik district, Ubon Ratchathani.

When police checked out the vehicle, they found packages of compressed marijuana, about 211 kilogrammes in total

The two allegedly admitted they were to be paid 50,000 baht, with the first payment of 5,000 baht, to deliver the marijuana from Tha Uthen district, Nakhon Phanom, to a client in Pathum Thani.


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