Thai Border Patrol Seizes 900,000 Methamphetamine Pills in Mae Ai, Chiang Mai After Gunfire

Key summary

A Thai military operation unit intercepted a drug smuggling caravan near Ban Pa Khuay in Mae Ai district, Chiang Mai province, on the evening of October 24. During a patrol of a natural trail, the unit encountered a group of approximately 5 to 10 individuals suspected of transporting drugs. After signaling for inspection, the suspects opened fire with an unidentified weapon at the location where officers were concealed, leading to a five-minute exchange of gunfire. Following the incident, the area was secured and searched. While the suspect group managed to escape using their knowledge of the terrain, authorities recovered six sacks modified into backpacks containing approximately 900,000 pills of Type 1 controlled substances (methamphetamine). The seized packages contained roughly 138,000 pills in three sacks marked with the symbol 'A' and approximately 162,000 pills each in the remaining three sacks. Following the operation, a joint task force including the Mae Ai Provincial Administration Office, the Rapid Deployment Unit of the Border Patrol Force, the Nong Bua Yai Special Police, two long-range patrol companies, the Mae Ai District Police Station, and the 334 Border Patrol Police conducted further checks and held a press conference.