6 days ago
Thai soldiers kill 5 drug smugglers, seize 1.35m meth pills in Chiang Mai
Thai soldiers clashed with suspected drug traffickers in Chiang Mai's Fang district early Sunday, leaving five suspects dead and resulting in the seizure of 1.35 million methamphetamine pills and firearms, according to the military.
The confrontation occurred around 2.40am when troops from the 3rd Cavalry Company, under the Chaiyanupap Task Force, encountered a group of six to eight individuals carrying large rucksacks suspected to contain drugs. When ordered to stop, the group opened fire on the soldiers with unidentified weapons, prompting a 10-minute gunfight.
No Thai personnel were injured in the exchange. After securing the area, reinforcements were deployed, including two additional ground units, two unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), and a military K9 unit specialised in drug detection.
A search of the area uncovered nine rucksacks, each containing approximately 150,000 meth pills, totalling 1,350,000 pills. Authorities also seized one homemade shotgun, one improvised pistol and two mobile phones. Also found were the bodies of five dead traffickers.
Col Amnat Wachirasaksopana, commander of the Chaiyanupap Task Force, led a joint inspection with local agencies. The confiscated drugs and weapons were handed over to Fang police station for further legal proceedings.
