6 million meth pills seized, troops gun down suspect

6 million meth pills seized, troops gun down suspect

CHIANG MAI: Six million methamphetamine pills were seized and a suspected drug courier killed in an exchange of fire with an army patrol on Saturday, authorities said.

The shooting started following a car chase in an adjoining area of Mae Ai and Fang districts, Pha Muang Force commander Maj Gen Narit Thawornwong said.

The incident occurred about 5.10pm when a Toyota Vigo pickup broke through a drug checkpoint manned by soldiers from Ranger Company 3203 at San Ton Mue village in Mae Ai district, defying a signal for it to stop for a search.

The soldiers gave chase in a patrol vehicle.

The fleeing pickup ran off the road at Nong Tum village in tambon Wiang of Fang district. The pick-up driver, while trying to escape, opened fire at the soldiers in pursuit, Maj Gen Narit said. He was shot dead in a brief exchange of fire.

He was identified as Tatchapol Chaka, from Chiang Mai's Fang district.

In Chiang Rai, the Special Task Force of the 3rd Cavalry Regiment under the Pha Muang task force caught a Hmong hill tribesman and a Myanmar national smuggling 25kg of crystal meth near the border in Mae Fa Luang district.

The task force, under the command of Col Sutkhet Sriniltin, was deployed to scour near Ban Mong Kao Lang in tambon Thoet Thai, following a tip-off about drugs being smuggled in from Myanmar.

During the patrol, officials flagged down a Honda car, driven by Seebae Aryeekoo, 20, and found 25kg of crystal meth in a box. Mr Seebae and a Myanmar man, who was driving another car, were taken to Mae Fa Luang police for legal action.

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