KHON KAEN: Police seized 530 kilogrammes of compressed marijuana with a street value of 7 million baht after chasing a pickup truck in Nam Phong district in the early hours of Saturday.
Following a tip-off that gang planned to smuggle illicit drugs from Bung Kan province to Bangkok via Mittraparb Road, highway police set up a checkpoint in Nam Phong district and waved over a pickup truck with a tarpaulin covering its bed for a search at around 2am.
But the driver sped past, prompting police to give chase. Officers along the route were alerted by radio to block the pickup, which was later found abandoned 10 kilometres from the checkpoint. The driver had fled, said Pol Col Apichart Phochan, commander of the Khon Kaen Highway Police.
When officers pulled back the tarpaulin they found 15 black plastic bags containing 530 bars of compressed marijuana.
A car registration record showed that the vehicle belonged to a 47-year-old man named Thavorn from Kalasin.
The owner, whose surname was withheld, will be called for questioning. If he is found to have been involved, he would face charges of having illicit drugs in his possession with intent to sell, said police.
A total of 530kg of compressed marijuana was seized from a pickup truck believed to be bound for Bangkok. (Photo by Jakkrapan Nathanri)