NAKHON PHANOM: A patrol of the Mekong Riverine Unit seized 635 kilogrammes of compressed marijuana on the bank of the Mekong river in Tha Uthen district in the small hours of Monday.
The patrol spotted a pickup covered with canvas on the bank of the Mekong river near Ban Lao Nad village in tambon Phayom.
Patrol members searched the truck and found 15 black plastic bags containing 635 packages of dried marijuana, each about 1kg.
The vehicle was abandoned. The smugglers were believed to have fled shortly before the soldiers arrived.
The marijuana was probably smuggled across the river from Laos and then loaded on the pickup for delivery to buyers in inner provinces, an official said.