Authorities in Chiang Rai intercepted a drug trafficking operation involving three motorcycles loaded with 1 million methamphetamine pills. The incident occurred late at night transporting the drugs from the Thai-Myanmar border down a mountain trail.
Col. Phraiwat Srichaiwan, commander of Task Force 31, ordered troops to set up checkpoints on the Kiwsatai-Ban Adee road in Pa Tung sub-district, Mae Chan district. This route connects to Chiang Rai city and had been flagged as a potential smuggling pathway.
Acting on a tip, authorities prepared for the operation the night of March 28-29.
He said that around 10 p.m., officials spotted three motorcycles travelling together along the Mae Chan-Fang road. Each carried two sacks strapped to the front of the bikes. When the group reached the checkpoint, the first rider, on a blue Honda Wave without a licence plate, tried to escape. The motorbike veered into roadside bushes and fell, but the driver managed to flee on foot under the cover of darkness.
The other two riders, on white and red-black Honda Wave motorcycles, also without licence plates, were stopped by officials. Both were detained at the scene. The suspects were identified as Mr. Jaso, 20, and Mr. Jafa, 20, both Myanmar nationals.
Upon inspection, authorities found six sacks in total, each containing 150,000 to 160,000 methamphetamine pills. The total number of pills seized was approximately one million. The suspects and drugs were handed over to police for further investigation and legal proceedings.
The suspects admitted they had fled military conscription in Myanmar and crossed the border illegally to find work. They ended up in Ban Phaya Prai, near Tambon Thet Thai in Mae Fah Luang district, Chiang Rai, where they started working as tea pickers.
After about a month, a local young man offered them a job as motorcycle drivers to transport goods. He didn’t explain what the goods were, but they accepted the offer as they needed money for Songkran. They were promised 10,000 baht each for the job.
Authorities later apprehended them, suspecting that one of the men, who managed to escape during the operation, was familiar with the route and had likely done this several times before. The two suspects, along with evidence including one million methamphetamine pills and three motorcycles, were handed over to Mae Chan Police Station for further investigation.
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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.
