An early morning drug bust operation in Mae Taeng district, Chiang Mai led to an exchange of gunfire, leaving one officer injured. Police managed to seize a significant amount of heroin and methamphetamine after a suspect abandoned a motorcycle and fled.
At 4.30am today, July 9, the rapid response unit of the Border Patrol Police Company 335 initiated a checkpoint at the entrance to Huai Kub Kab in Chiang Mai. A suspicious motorcyclist approached the checkpoint, prompting officers to signal for a stop. However, the motorcyclist attempted to evade the checkpoint, leading to a high-speed pursuit.
During the chase, a confrontation ensued between the officers and the suspect. Senior Sergeant Major Chinawut Mantana of the Border Patrol Police Division 33 sustained injuries in the gunfire and is currently receiving treatment at Nakornping Hospital with severe injuries. Despite the altercation, the suspect managed to escape, abandoning the motorcycle.
Upon inspection of the abandoned motorcycle, officers discovered heroin concealed in 60 plastic bottles and approximately 94,000 methamphetamine pills. Police coordinated with relevant agencies to conduct a thorough investigation, including fingerprint analysis and tracing the motorcycle’s ownership to gather more information and potentially apprehend the suspect.
In related news, the Royal Thai Police announced a significant increase in drug seizures over the past nine months, capturing nearly 800 million methamphetamine pills and seizing assets worth 9.3 billion baht. This marks a 120.63% rise from the previous year.
In other news, police in Chanthaburi launched a significant crackdown on illegal e-cigarette sales, confiscating over 3 million baht worth of contraband and discovering that children as young as 12 are purchasing and using these products openly.
Under the supervision of Assistant Minister of Public Health Thanakrit Jittarareerat, the operation was conducted by a team of officers from the Technology Crime Suppression Division, local police, administrative officials, and public health officers. They raided ten e-cigarette shops throughout Chanthaburi province.
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