Border Patrol Police arrested a 19-year-old man and seized more than 2,100,000 methamphetamine pills in Tambon Pa Teng, Amphoe Mae Chan, Chiang Rai Province. A second suspect escaped, and police have launched a province-wide manhunt.
According to the Border Patrol Police, they received a tip-off that a group would smuggle drugs from the Thai-Burmese border on the Mae Fah Luang side into the village through Tambon Pa Tueng, Amphoe Mae Chan.
In the early morning hours of Saturday, police spotted a pickup truck in Doi Mae Chan that matched the description from the tip-off. They radioed ahead to a border checkpoint to stop it for a search.
When the truck reached the roadblock, it crashed into a police pickup blocking the road and opened fire at the officers, hitting Pol. Sgt. Maj. Natchapol in the right arm.
The truck continued down the road until it crashed, and one of the passengers fled into the night, leaving behind a 19-year-old identified as Mr. Jamee. Upon searching the pickup truck, police found 10 sacks of methamphetamine pills, totaling more than 2,100,000 pills.
Pol. Maj. Gen. Natchapol Sukpaisankul, the leader of the 327th Border Patrol Police, told reporters that initial questioning of the suspect revealed he had been hired to transport the methamphetamine for 50,000 baht into central Thailand. The suspect also revealed the identity of the shooter, prompting police to launch a province-wide manhunt to capture him.
Meanwhile, the police officer who was shot in the arm has been released from the hospital and is recovering at home.
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Geoff Thomas is an award winning journalist known for his sharp insights and no-nonsense reporting style. Over the years he has worked for Reuters and the Canadian Press covering everything from political scandals to human interest stories. He brings a clear and direct approach to his work.