Drug Smuggler's Van Crashes After High-Speed Chase
A drug smuggler's van crashed during a high-speed chase in Mae Jan District, Chiang Rai on September 19, after the driver refused to stop at a checkpoint; authorities recovered 72 kilograms of methamphetamine but the driver fled into the fo
On September 19, ranger forces under the command of Major General Satit Waiyanon, commander of the Border Patrol Police operation force, along with Colonel Jeekapon Sodsee, commander of the special operations unit of the 31st Ranger Regiment, coordinated with Mae Jan police station and security officials to intercept drug trafficking. After receiving a tip that methamphetamine would be smuggled from Mae Fa Luang District into the interior, authorities set up inspection checkpoints in the Huay Mahin Fon area of Pa Tung subdistrict, Mae Jan District, Chiang Rai.
When a suspicious white van approached the checkpoint, officers ordered it to stop for inspection. The driver accelerated and fled instead, leading to a pursuit. The vehicle lost control and crashed off the road, and the driver escaped into the forest using his knowledge of the terrain.
Officers searched the white van and discovered several burlap sacks behind the driver's seat containing crystal meth. The joint investigation by ranger forces, the narcotics suppression unit, Mae Jan police, and district security officials found 72 kilograms of methamphetamine in total—three sacks, each containing 24 bags of one kilogram each, wrapped in clear plastic and green tea bags. Authorities seized the vehicle and transferred all evidence to Mae Jan police station for legal proceedings while pursuing the driver for prosecution.
