CHIANG RAI: Soldiers arrested a 25-year-old man and seized 5 million methamphetamine pills found in his pickup after a 20-minute pursuit in Wiang Kaen district early on Monday morning.
Maj Gen Narit Thawornwong, commander of the Pha Muang Task Force, said said the ws driving a silver Toyota pickup truck and fled from a checkpoint at Ban Huai Han in tambon Por about 2am.
After a 20-minute-long chase he was arrested in Ban Santi Patana.
The driver was identified as Choke-anan Sawatchart, 25, of Wiang Pa Pao district.
Soldiers found 25 sacks containing a total of 5 million methamphetamine pills on the back of the pickup.
The suspect was quoted as saying he was one of several drivers hired in turn to deliver drugs from the border area to destinations deeper inside Thailand.
Wiang Kaen is the easternmost district of the province and borders Laos.