CHIANG RAI: The Pha Muang Task Force has reported another armed clash with a drug trafficking group near Thailand’s northern border, resulting in the deaths of two suspects and the seizure of 4 million methamphetamine pills.
Maj Gen Kidakorn Chantra, Commander of the Pha Muang Task Force, said on Sunday that there had lately been frequent confrontations between security officers and armed drug trafficking gangs.
The latest clash occurred on Friday night when soldiers from the 1st Cavalry Company along with a special operations unit were conducting a patrol at Ban Pang Mahan in tambon Therd Thai of Mae Fa Luang district, Chiang Rai province, as part of ongoing anti-narcotics operations.
While patrolling the mountainous terrain, the team encountered a group of individuals on foot carrying large backpacks. When officers identified themselves and asked to search the group, the suspects opened fire with unidentified weapons, prompting a 10-minute gunfight. The armed men later fled. No officers were injured.
After the clash, officers discovered 20 modified sacks, each containing about 200,000 meth tablets, totalling around 4 million pills. Two suspects were found dead at the scene, with a spent 7.62 AK-47 cartridge and a shotgun shell.
The confiscated drugs were handed over to Mae Fa Luang police station for further legal action.
Ongoing anti-drug campaign results
From Oct 1, 2024 to the present, Maj Gen Kidakorn said, the Pha Muang Task Force has carried out 303 anti-narcotics operations. These have resulted in the arrests of 312 suspects and the seizure of 126 million meth pills, 145 kg of heroin, 8,000 kg of crystal meth, 43 kg of opium, and 695 kg of ketamine.
Clashes with drug traffickers occurred in 44 of these operations, resulting in the deaths of 23 suspects.
Authorities estimate that if the seized narcotics had reached markets in Bangkok, the total street value could have exceeded 27.8 billion baht, causing significant economic and social damage.