CHIANG MAI: Authorities seized 500 kilogrammes of crystal methamphetamine abandoned by fleeing smugglers following a car chase in Chiang Dao district of this northern border province.
Soldiers from the Pha Muang task force, local police and border patrol officers set up a checkpoint at Mae Ja junction in tambon Thung Khao Phuang late on Thursday night following a tip-off that illicit drugs would be smuggled along this route.
At 11.30pm, the team spotted a suspected pickup truck heading to the checkpoint. Upon seeing the officers, the driver suddenly turned his vehicle around and sped away, prompting soldiers and police to give chase. They later found the vehicle with Lamphun licence plates abandoned about three kilometres from the checkpoint, but no smugglers were seen.
A search found 25 sacks in the truck bed, each containing 20kg of crystal meth, totalling 500kg, according to the Pha Muang task force.
Authorities checked the vehicle ownership and found it belonged to Thanachit Suaija, a resident of Chiang Dao.
Soldiers were sent to Mr Thanachit's house but did not find him. They met his wife, Natcha-aree Yuthirak, who denied any knowledge of her husband's whereabouts. Ms Natcha-aree claimed she was not aware he was involved in drug smuggling.
Since October last year, some 106 million speed pills, 145kg of heroin, 8,040kg of crystal meth, 22.1kg of opium and 595kg of ketamine have been seized in 258 drug suppression operations in Thailand's northern border areas, with 277 suspects arrested, said the Pha Muang task force.
Of those operations, there were 37 instances of exchange of gunfire, in which 13 drug smugglers were killed.