Military Kills 4 Drug Smugglers in Border Firefight
Thai military forces killed four armed drug smugglers in a firefight near the Myanmar border in Chiang Mai, seizing over a million methamphetamine pills along with heroin and raw opium.
Phamuang Task Force soldiers conducting border patrols intercepted an armed group smuggling methamphetamine, heroin, and raw opium into Thailand, resulting in four deaths in Mae Ai, Chiang Mai.
On July 3, 2025, Colonel Sathit Waiyanon, Phamuang Task Force commander, assigned Deputy Commander Major Michay Nilsat to oversee the evidence inspection with relevant agencies. The seized narcotics included 1,162,000 methamphetamine pills, 3.85 kilograms of heroin, 25.6 kilograms of raw opium, three rifles, and one machete.
The operation occurred at 2 p.m. on July 2, 2025, when soldiers from the 4th Cavalry Squadron and the 3207rd Ranger Company encountered 10-15 suspects moving through a natural trail near Nam-Uen checkpoint in Mae Sao Subdistrict, Mae Ai District, Chiang Mai. When officers requested to search the group, the armed smugglers opened fire, triggering a five-minute gunfight. Four suspects were killed, and authorities recovered 11 modified backpack sacks containing the drugs, weapons, and other items. Evidence was handed to Mae Ai Police Station for further legal proceedings.
