A drug dealer reportedly selling "k-powdered milk" was shot dead in Nakhon Pathom during a shootout on Tuesday.
Wasan Khiaohom, 41, known among drug traffickers as Ple Kampangsaen, was shot dead by police in woodland near a roadside in Mueang district of Nakhon Pathom.
A 9mm pistol and bullets were found near his body, along with one sachet of a k-powdered milk ketamine cocktail, 40 ecstasy pills, as well as some cash in his pocket.
The "k-powdered milk" is a drug cocktail identified by authorities to be a combination of heroin, ketamine, methamphetamine and the anti-anxiety medication diazepam, or valium.
It is also known as "k-nom pong", a highly potent narcotic cocktail that recently killed 10 and harmed many who took it.
Investigators in the province told reporters that they were lying in wait for the drug trafficker following an intelligence report, when a white car approached and parked nearby before a pickup also showed up.
According to police as officers moved in to investigate, Wasan got out of the pickup, pulled out a gun and fired at the officers, who returned fire and shot him.
The suspect attempted to flee but collapsed and died by the roadside. Two alleged accomplices, driving the car and pickup, were arrested.
Meanwhile, nearly 600 suspects were arrested and a large amount of drugs were seized in a Jan 13-18 crackdown, police have revealed.
Provincial Police Region 1 commissioner, Pol Lt Gen Ampol Buarubporn, told a press briefing on Tuesday that the crackdown resulted in the arrest of 592 criminals, eight with outstanding warrants, along with drug seizures worth 8,644,825 baht in total.
In terms of drugs, police seized 220,808 speed pills, 2,1 kilogrammes of crystal meth, 977 kg of cannabis, 9g of ketamine, 1,800 kratom leaves, weighing 532g, 442 litres of a kratom drink and three ecstasy pills.
He said he ordered the crackdown to suppress the trafficking of dangerous drugs.
This included moving against those selling k-powdered milk and a drug cocktail called Talaysai, that has also claimed several lives recently.
Assets police seized from suspects included: 200,000 baht in cash, 14 cars worth 6,784,700 baht, 21 motorcycles worth 1,310,690 baht, gold jewellery worth 286,800 baht and ten phones worth 62,460 baht.