Thai Forces Kill 9 Drug Smugglers, Seize 272kg of Methamphetamine
Thai forces killed nine drug smugglers and seized 272kg of methamphetamine in a gunfight near the Myanmar border in Tak province on September 28.
On September 29, Lieutenant General Satthit Waiyanon, commander of the Pha Muang Task Force and director of the drug suppression and prevention operation center, briefed officers including Major Suphan Rueabuddha and Mae Fa Luang Police Station officials on the clash that occurred between the First Horse Cavalry Unit of the Tak Task Force under Pha Muang Task Force and a drug trafficking group.
On the evening of September 28 at approximately 20:10, First Horse Cavalry Unit patrols detected 15-17 suspects moving through mountainous terrain near Ban Pang Mahan village in Thoed Thai subdistrict carrying modified bags. When officers approached to conduct a search, the group opened fire with unknown weapons, sparking a 10-minute gunfight before the suspects retreated. All officers remained safe, and additional units were deployed to secure the area.
By the morning of September 29, investigators found nine members of the trafficking gang dead at the scene, along with 16 modified bags containing methamphetamine (ice), each weighing approximately 17 kilograms, totaling around 272 kilograms of Class 1 narcotics. Lieutenant General Satthit ordered continued strict enforcement of anti-drug operations, noting that traffickers have been intensifying attempts to smuggle drugs from neighboring countries through Mae Fa Luang district into central Thailand.
