Thai authorities seize $33-mln drugs haul

BANGKOK, September 8, 2011 (AFP) - Thai authorities have seized illegal drugs including heroin and methamphetamines worth an estimated 33 million dollars that are believed to have been smuggled from Myanmar, officials said Thursday.

A military border taskforce, acting on a tip-off, said it set up a checkpoint in northern Chiang Rai province late on Wednesday.

Troops tried to stop a suspicious pickup truck but it managed to get away.

The vehicle and the drugs -- including 95 kilos (209 pounds) of crystal methamphetamine and 3.4 kilos of heroin -- were later found abandoned. The suspects have not been caught.

It was an unusually large seizure, believed to be worth about 1.0 billion baht (33 million dollars).

Myanmar is the world's second-largest opium producer after Afghanistan and ethnic minority armed rebels in the east of the nation are believed to be major heroin and methamphetamine traffickers.

-- (c) Copyright AFP 2011-09-08

One Billion Baht Worth of Narcotics Seized in Chiang Rai

Soldiers in Chiang Rai have confiscated more than one billion baht worth of narcotics.

Commander of the Phamuang Task Force Major General Prakarn Cholayuth, Deputy Chiang Rai Governor Pinit Harnpanit and Deputy Secretary-General of the Narcotics Control Board Sukhum Opasnipan jointly held a press conference, announcing the seizure of a major drug shipment, consisting of more than 2.4 million methamphetamine pills, 95 kilograms of crystallized methamphetamine and 3.4 kilograms of heroin, along with a pick-up truck.

The drugs have a total street value of more than one billion baht.

Prior to the seizure, the joint police-military-administrative authority set up a road checkpoint in Mae Fah Luang District after having learned that a large quantity of drugs was moving through the area from the Burmese border.

The officials asked the suspected truck to stop, but instead, it sped through the checkpoint, prompting a chase.

The truck was later found abandoned by the roadside and its driver fled into the forest.

The authorities found the drugs packed inside backpacks, sacks and paper boxes.

It has been estimated that the shipment was obtained at the border for around 900 million baht.

The Phamuang Task Force commander has reported that officials are currently investigating the origin and destination of the shipment.

They suspect northern hilltribe people as being responsible.

The deputy secretary-general of the Narcotics Control Board has reported that narcotics trafficking along the border remains critical.

It is believed that the methamphetamine pills were destined for domestic buyers while the heroin and crystallized methamphetamine were to be shipped to other countries.

-- Tan Network 2011-09-08

One Billion Baht Worth of Narcotics Seized in Chiang Rai

Soldiers in Chiang Rai have confiscated more than one billion baht worth of narcotics.

Commander of the Phamuang Task Force Major General Prakarn Cholayuth, Deputy Chiang Rai Governor Pinit Harnpanit and Deputy Secretary-General of the Narcotics Control Board Sukhum Opasnipan jointly held a press conference, announcing the seizure of a major drug shipment, consisting of more than 2.4 million methamphetamine pills, 95 kilograms of crystallized methamphetamine and 3.4 kilograms of heroin, along with a pick-up truck.

The drugs have a total street value of more than one billion baht.

Prior to the seizure, the joint police-military-administrative authority set up a road checkpoint in Mae Fah Luang District after having learned that a large quantity of drugs was moving through the area from the Burmese border.

The officials asked the suspected truck to stop, but instead, it sped through the checkpoint, prompting a chase.

The truck was later found abandoned by the roadside and its driver fled into the forest.

The authorities found the drugs packed inside backpacks, sacks and paper boxes.

It has been estimated that the shipment was obtained at the border for around 900 million baht.

The Phamuang Task Force commander has reported that officials are currently investigating the origin and destination of the shipment.

They suspect northern hilltribe people as being responsible.

The deputy secretary-general of the Narcotics Control Board has reported that narcotics trafficking along the border remains critical.

It is believed that the methamphetamine pills were destined for domestic buyers while the heroin and crystallized methamphetamine were to be shipped to other countries.

-- Tan Network 2011-09-08

Ohh they got away again did they?

Of course they did

I'd hate to be the poor schmuck who has to report back to his boss: "Sorry General, they were after the truck! So I ditched the load and ran away" :jap:

When dealing with situations like this where there's a stakeout, spike strips are usually effective.

However, I'm not sure they've got them here.

Troops tried to stop a suspicious pickup truck but it managed to get away.

God help them if 2 pick-up trucks came through at one time; or an armoured personnel carrier; or even a couple of Cambodian tanks. Bangkok next stop.

Whatever the Thai Army does, it seems to do badly; the rebels are running riot in the south, and they have access to as many weapons as they can carry from the nearest Army base; helicopters are programmed to fly into mountains etc etc.

Laos and Cambodia could get the whole of the Isaan plateau back within a week or so using a platoon of Young Pioneers armed with slingshots.

The drugs have a total street value of more than one billion baht ....

It has been estimated that the shipment was obtained at the border for around 900 million baht.

I don't think, that a major drug cartel runs on a 10% profit, from the buy to sell on the street, as there would be many middle man.

I would think it's somewhere from 100 to 1000%

Edited September 8, 201114 yr by londonthai

Troops tried to stop a suspicious pickup truck but it managed to get away.

God help them if 2 pick-up trucks came through at one time; or an armoured personnel carrier; or even a couple of Cambodian tanks. Bangkok next stop.

Whatever the Thai Army does, it seems to do badly; the rebels are running riot in the south, and they have access to as many weapons as they can carry from the nearest Army base; helicopters are programmed to fly into mountains etc etc.

Laos and Cambodia could get the whole of the Isaan plateau back within a week or so using a platoon of Young Pioneers armed with slingshots.

I think the above post just about sums it up nicely.

Heaven help us if the Burmese ever get territorial designs on Thailand again.

But remember the Thai army has an ace up its sleeve. They have air superiority with "The Blimp".

Troops tried to stop a suspicious pickup truck but it managed to get away.

God help them if 2 pick-up trucks came through at one time; or an armoured personnel carrier; or even a couple of Cambodian tanks. Bangkok next stop.

Whatever the Thai Army does, it seems to do badly; the rebels are running riot in the south, and they have access to as many weapons as they can carry from the nearest Army base; helicopters are programmed to fly into mountains etc etc.

Laos and Cambodia could get the whole of the Isaan plateau back within a week or so using a platoon of Young Pioneers armed with slingshots.

Funny as <deleted>

That was the decoy truck.

The car driver was probably a hill tribe man, but the one responsible for such an amount of drugs, most likely would be some hot shot who forgot to pay his tea money !

That was the decoy truck.

It's all related to the same racket, isn't it?

Decoy, indeed.

will the shipment be inventoried and kept track of until its "destroyed" ?

Troops tried to stop a suspicious pickup truck but it managed to get away.

God help them if 2 pick-up trucks came through at one time; or an armoured personnel carrier; or even a couple of Cambodian tanks. Bangkok next stop.

Whatever the Thai Army does, it seems to do badly; the rebels are running riot in the south, and they have access to as many weapons as they can carry from the nearest Army base; helicopters are programmed to fly into mountains etc etc.

Laos and Cambodia could get the whole of the Isaan plateau back within a week or so using a platoon of Young Pioneers armed with slingshots.

Ah, but if they were armed with slingshots the Army would just bring out the snipers and take out the lot of them - they have previous you know, and that was their own folks - imagine what they'd do to foreign invaders.................

It's them Northern Hiltribe people at it again. Not us lot, or anyone connected to any law enforcement agency.

Troops tried to stop a suspicious pickup truck but it managed to get away.

God help them if 2 pick-up trucks came through at one time; or an armoured personnel carrier; or even a couple of Cambodian tanks. Bangkok next stop.

Whatever the Thai Army does, it seems to do badly; the rebels are running riot in the south, and they have access to as many weapons as they can carry from the nearest Army base; helicopters are programmed to fly into mountains etc etc.

Laos and Cambodia could get the whole of the Isaan plateau back within a week or so using a platoon of Young Pioneers armed with slingshots.

Ah, but if they were armed with slingshots the Army would just bring out the snipers and take out the lot of them - they have previous you know, and that was their own folks - imagine what they'd do to foreign invaders.................

Deny killing them?

Now sell it to Burma to help the Thai economy =D

less drugs on the street for awhile.i hate to be the one who tells the main man why

something just doesnt add up

its a bit hard to believe the army knew in advance a large shipment of drugs was coming down that particular road ,

set up a roadblock operation and still didnt manage to catch anybody ,(pickups dont accelerate like ferraris ) so theres no way it could outrun even a small motorbike ,

basically sounds like they escaped on foot after ditching the pickup .........

do the army not have assault rifles and machine guns anymore ?