NAKHON PHANOM: Marines from the navy's Mekong Riverine Unit seized 458,000 methamphetamine pills left by smugglers on the bank of the Mekong river in Tha Uthen district late on Saturday night.
R/Adm Saman Kanthapong, the MRU commander, said the meth pills were in three fertiliser bags were found by the patrol on the river bank near Ban Lao Suan Kluay, Moo 4, tambon Nong Thao. The bags were probably left there for collection and further distribution by gang members.
The drugs were probably smuggled across the Mekong river in long-tail boats. Handwritten notes on the packages indicated they were destined for several provinces in the Northeast - Bung Kan, Sakon Nakhon and Loei.
This year, authorities have seized over 10 million meth pills and 5 tonnes of contraband marijuana smuggled into the country via Nakhon Phanom, R/Adm Saman said.