Catastrophic collision culminates in detection of 5 million methamphetamine capsules in truck
In a significant development, authorities in Southern Thailand have seized over five million methamphetamine pills from a truck on Phetkasem Road in Kui Buri district, Prachuap Khiri Khan. The drugs, valued at approximately 60 million baht, were hidden in foam boxes mixed with the cargo of timber.
The drugs were being transported from Chiang Rai to Hat Yai district in Songkhla, concealed in a white Isuzu 10-wheel truck. The accident that led to the discovery occurred on the southbound lane of Phetkasem Road, and it is suspected to have been caused by fatigue. The driver of the truck is believed to have fled the scene following the accident.
Authorities found 54 foam boxes, each containing 100,000 pills, and four smaller packages, totaling around 5,440,000 pills. The suspects, aged between 23 and 33, face charges of jointly trafficking a Category 1 narcotic (methamphetamine) with intent to distribute, without authorisation.
In a separate incident, four suspects were arrested in tambon Thap Tai, Nakhon Ratchasima, in connection with the same drug trafficking network. The suspects had successfully completed three prior shipments, and they too are facing similar charges.
The investigation aims to identify the network's leaders and remaining operatives across multiple provinces.
Elsewhere, four suspects were caught with 600 kilogrammes of crystal meth, or ice, at a gas station in Hua Hin district. This incident, however, is not directly related to the earlier events.
Meanwhile, in the Stavelot-Malmedy region, a drug network prosecution involves 13 defendants, with the alleged leader being a 27-year-old man accused of trafficking cocaine and cannabis, as well as weapon possession. He faces a demand for six years without probation. Two accomplices are each facing four years, and the remaining ten operatives face sentences between one and two years. Additionally, over 550,000 euros, presumed to be from drug trafficking, are to be confiscated.
