Chiang Rai, Thailand – Police seized 4.4 million methamphetamine pills after stopping an Isuzu pickup that tried to evade a checkpoint in Chiang Saen district on Friday evening, authorities said.
Stop ends in major seizure
Investigators halted the vehicle after it failed to stop for a control. The pickup briefly fled but was intercepted minutes later. In the cargo area officers discovered 24 straw sacks, each packed with pills, bringing the total to 4.4 million tablets. Police described the haul as one of the largest seizures so far this year.
Suspects and alleged smuggling ring
Two men from Mae Fah Luang district were arrested at the scene. They were identified as Sira, 41, and Seri, 34. Authorities said initial inquiries indicate the pair were part of a larger smuggling network that regularly moved drugs across the border region with Myanmar.
Both suspects have denied wrongdoing so far, but police said they believed the men knew more than they had admitted.
Tip-off triggered operation
Officials said the operation followed a specific tip about an incoming delivery. Officers set up checkpoints and waited for the suspicious vehicle.
“The car stood out immediately when it failed to stop,” an investigator said. “Minutes later we had them.”
Evidence logged and wider inquiry
The seized drugs were registered as evidence. Police assess that the shipment was intended for distribution to several provinces in northern Thailand. Special units from the Narcotics Suppression Bureau worked closely with Chiang Rai police at the scene.
Authorities said investigations were continuing to trace the organisers and other members of the network. “We are following every lead,” a police spokesperson said. “This seizure is a clear success — but certainly not the end.”
One pickup, 24 sacks and 4.4 million pills — a significant blow to trafficking operations in the north as investigators pursue the handlers behind the shipment.