Soldiers from the Pha Muang Task Force have seized over 120kg of heroin from a group of drug runners trying to cross into Mae Sai Chiang Rai in the middle of the night.
Major Gen. Kittakorn Chanthra, Commander of the Pha Muang Task Force told reporters that a patrol was sent to monitor the border area along the Ruak River, on the Thai-Myanmar border, in the Koh Chang sub-district, Mae Sai District of Chiang Rai.
A around 1:30 a.m.when the troops were inspecting the area of Sri Pa Daeng Village, Village 9, Koh Chang Subdistrict, they came upon a group of approximately 5-10 men carrying sacks of straw that had been modified into backpacks wrapped in black plastic bags entering the Thai side of the natural border.
The soldier order the group of men to stop, but they opened fire on the soldiers trying to escape. The Pha Muang Force returned fire resulting in a firefight that lasted for approximately 5 minutes. All the Pha Muang Task Force soldiers were uninjured.
After the firefight ended the perpetrators ran into the cover of darkness of the jungle and crossed the Ruak River back into Myanmar.
Major Gen. Kittakorn Chanthra said the soldiers secured the area and awaited for daylight to inspect the clash scene area.
At sunrise soldiers discovered six rainbow-colored sacks were found, containing heroin bars stamped with the lion stepping on a globe. There were 60 bars per sack, for a total of approximately 360 bars of heroin, weighing approximately 126 kilograms.
The military officers then seized the drugs as evidence and coordinated with relevant agencies to investigate and expand the investigation.
Major Gen. Kittakorn said that the drugs belonged to a minority network in a neighboring country, and it is believed that they were to be transported through Thailand to a third country.
He said that the drug network were taking advantage of the situation in Mae Sai border area when officials in all sectors have been mobilizing to help people restore their homes after the recent major flooding.
However, he confirmed that the Pha Muang task force would continue to strictly prevent drug smuggling at all times.
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