CHIANG RAI, THAILAND – A pickup truck crashed in Chiang Rai’s border area after a police chase, with officers seizing millions of methamphetamine pills as the occupants fled into a nearby forest and opened fire.
Joint operation by multiple security agencies
At around 11:30 a.m. on 4 April, Police Major General Worapat Bunma, commander of Border Patrol Police Region 3, briefed the media on the incident and the drug seizure.
Units from the border police, soldiers from the Pha-Mueang Taskforce, local administrative offices and other agencies took part in the checkpoint operation and subsequent inspection.
Authorities stated that they had received prior information indicating that a smuggling group in Mae Fah Luang district, Chiang Rai province, intended to transport drugs further into the country.
Security forces were then deployed to monitor suspicious vehicles and to block potential drug transports at an early stage.
Suspicious pickup flees checkpoint
At about 7:30 a.m., officers spotted a suspicious vehicle: a Toyota pickup in silver‑bronze paint with license plates from Chiang Rai.
When the officers identified themselves and requested to search the vehicle, the driver accelerated and attempted to evade the checkpoint.
Chase ends with crash on narrow farm road
The pursuit continued into the Mae Salong Nok area of Mae Fah Luang district, where the route was described as narrow and difficult to navigate.
There, the pickup veered off the roadway and overturned. The driver and passenger used their local knowledge to flee into a forested area beside the road.
Shots fired at officers during escape
According to the authorities, the fugitives used a firearm of unknown caliber and fired six shots.
The shots were believed to have been intended to clear a path for their escape before the suspects disappeared into the forest.
Millions of methamphetamine pills found in vehicle
After securing the area, officers inspected the crashed vehicle and found around 20 modified sacks inside the cabin.
According to police, the sacks contained a total of about 4.3 million tablets of a class 1 narcotic (amphetamine/methamphetamine).
Evidence secured, manhunt for two suspects ongoing
The seized drugs were handed over to Mae Fah Luang Police Station for further criminal proceedings.
In parallel, authorities announced that they would expand the investigation and continue the search for the two escaped suspects.