About 2 million tablets of methamphetamine have been seized in a fresh crackdown on drug trafficking in Chiang Rai.
Meanwhile, about 400 kilogrammes of cannabis were confiscated in a raid in eastern Bangkok.
A combined force of soldiers and police late on Friday night spotted a suspicious pickup truck coming to its joint security checkpoint in Ban Pha Mi in Mae Sai district of Chiang Rai. Officers at the checkpoint tried to stop the car for inspection, an informed source said.
The truck suddenly stopped, then rapidly reversed prompting security officers at the checkpoint to chase it, the source said.
The truck became bogged after moving backward for about 300 metres. The driver and two passengers tried to flee the scene, the source said.
As they ran away, the suspected drug traffickers opened fire at security officers in pursuit, which forced the latter to return fire, the source said.
A dead body, later identified as Rannaphon Saefa, a resident of Khun Tan district of Chiang Rai, was found in the front passenger's seat, the source said, adding that the first 1.8 million tablets of methamphetamine was found in 12 bags in the car and six bags left nearby.
An Akha man identified only as Acho, 20, from a town in Myanamar's Tachileik was detained after the incident in a nearby area, the source said.
Aside from an identification card belonging to Rannaphon, another ID card was also found at the scene. It belongs to a resident of Thoeng district whose name is Kiti Saeyang, 31.
At about 7am yesterday authorities detained another Akha person whose name was withheld. The 16-year-old suspect was detained with 138,000 tablets of methamphetamine.
Meanwhile, Bangkok Patrol and Special Operation Division chief Surachet Hakpal said a police team had raided a rental house in Prawet district and seized more than 400kg of compressed dry marijuana and detained Udomchai Triphakdi.
Police later expanded their search and found assets worth over 40 million baht at a condominium owned by Mr Udomchai, said Pol Maj Gen Surachet, adding that police also detained Chitta Yarangwong, wife of Mr Udomchai for questioning over her alleged involvement in the drug trade.
The crackdown came after seven drug suspects had previously been arrested and they were found to belong to the same drug ring supplying drugs by mail from Prawet district, Pol Maj Gen Surachet said.
The suspects named Mr Udomchai as the person who hired them to do the job, said Pol Maj Gen Surachet, adding that Mr Udomchai confessed to selling about 400kg to 500kg of cannabis per month and earning about 1 million baht in profit a month. The suspect told police he ordered the drug from a supplier in Laos, Pol Maj Gen Surachet said.
