CHIANG RAI: An army patrol got into a firefight with suspected drug smugglers who fled the scene, leaving behind a large amount of illegal narcotics early yesterday.
Maj Gen Kidakorn Chantra, commander of the Pha Muang Task Force of the Royal Thai Army, said a team was on a border patrol when it spotted a group of 20-25 people carrying backpacks in a forest area around 2am.
The patrol identified themselves and demanded a search, but the group opened fire on the army team.
A firefight ensued for about 10 minutes before the suspected drug smugglers retreated.
The authorities dispatched two additional teams to secure the area. They found 22 rainbow-coloured sacks that had been converted into backpacks scattered around the area.
An inspection found four backpacks containing 800,000 methamphetamine pills and 18 backpacks containing 540kg of crystal methamphetamine.
All the evidence was handed over to Mae Sai Police Station investigators to proceed with legal action.
Meanwhile, four Thai suspects were arrested on Wednesday for transporting 564,000 methamphetamine pills in Bueng Kan, a northeastern province located on the bank of the Mekong River.
Pol Maj Gen Phumiphat Phattarasri, commander of Provincial Police Region 4, said the suspects were identified only as Mr Jakkraphon, 25, Ms Rungthiwa, 28, Mr Thanwa, 20 and Mr Piya, 20.
He said the suspects confessed to being hired by a Lao national to transport the drugs from the border to a drug network in Thailand.
