A 19-year-old pickup driver was arrested after taking delivery of more than 2 million methamphetamine pills smuggled across the Mekong River to Nong Khai province.
Pol Maj Gen Phitsanu Unhaseri, chief of Udon Thani police, told reporters on Monday that the suspect, Phayu Phikhawong, was hired to deliver 2,164,000 ya ba pills from Phon Phisai district in Nong Khai province to a person in Wang Noi district, Ayutthaya province.
Udon Thani police received a tip-off that a Thai living in Laos, whose name was withheld, had hired Mr Phayu to pick up and deliver the pills on Saturday night. He was to be paid 300,000 baht, according to Pol Maj Gen Phitsanu.
The teenager drove a pickup truck to take delivery of the drugs, which were smuggled across the Mekong River in Phon Phisai district. He was accompanied by two motorcyclists, who helped load the drugs on the truck.
Police observing the transaction from hiding then stopped and arrested Mr Phayu as he started to drive away. The two motorcyclists fled.
Under questioning, Mr Phayu allegedly said he had no school education and no job. At 17, he was arrested for selling 33 meth pills. Since his release he had been working as a drug courier, earning up to 3 million baht.
Pol Maj Gen Phitsanu said a search of the suspect's house in Chai Wan district, Udon Thani, found another 64,000 meth pills.
The suspect was charged with illegally having drugs in possession with intent to sell, and was detained at Rattanawapi police station in Nong Khai for legal proceedings.