SURAT THANI: Three drug couriers were arrested and 2 million speed pills seized after a 70-kilometre pursuit in Tha Chana district of this southern province on Wednesday morning.
Members of a highway police patrol spotted a Toyota Fortuner that appeared to be heavily laden and had Bangkok licence plates on Highway 41 in Lang Suan district of Chumphon province, heading towards Surat Thani province around 4am on Wednesday.
The patrol gave chase and alerted highway police in neighbouring Surat Thani province and local police in its Tha Chana district to stop the suspected vehicle.
Police set up a road checkpoint at Nong Nin intersection in tambon Samor Thong of Tha Chana district. As highway police chased the vehicle towards the intersection, the driver of the Fortuner suddenly left the highway and headed towards Tha Chana market.
Not being familiar with the area, the driver arrived at a dead end at a bridge under repair over the Tha Chana railway in tambon Samor Thong. Attempting to escape, he was chased by a highway police vehicle. He was then blocked by a Tha Chana police vehicle, bringing the 70km chase to an end.
Police found two men and one woman inside the vehicle - driver Naris Phetkham, 21, of Kanchanaburi’s Sai Yok district; a 17-year-old girl of Songkhla’s Hat Yai district; and Wichita Klinkanha, 23, of Samut Prakan’s Bang Phli district.
The officers found 2 million speed pills inside their vehicle. The three suspects were taken to Tha Chana police station for questioning.
During questioning, Mr Naris told police he had travelled from Bangkok to visit his children in Hat Yai district. He had been hired to deliver the speed pills from Ayutthaya province to a woman in Tha Sala district of Surat Thani province.
He had been hired to do this job for the third time, he said, and received 40,000 baht a trip. There was another vehicle involved in the drug smuggling, he said. He told police he was released from jail on drug charges two years ago.
Police charged the three with colluding in possessing illicit drugs with intent to sell. All were held in police custody at Tha Chana police station for legal action.
A police officer carries a package containing speed pills from the suspects' vehicle after it was intercepted in Surat Thani on Wednesday. (Photo: Supapong Chaolan)