MAE FA LUANG, CHIANG RAI – A five-minute firefight with security forces killed three suspected drug smugglers on the night of July 28. Ranger units from the Pha-Muang forces later seized 390,000 methamphetamine pills and two firearms.
Around 9:45 pm on July 28, the Task Force Thap Chao Tak got a tip about an armed group crossing the border in Mae Fa Luang district. Rangers from unit 3107 spotted five to six strong men carrying backpacks at the natural crossing point Pha Daeng in Ban Pong Hai village.
Cops identify themselves, gunmen open fire
When the officers identified themselves and demanded a search, the men immediately opened fire. The exchange lasted about five minutes before the Rangers called for backup and sealed off the area.
At dawn around 6:00 am, the search team combed the forest. They found three dead men from the smuggling group. Next to them lay three sacks repurposed as backpacks.
Each sack held 130,000 Yaba pills
Police said each sack contained about 130,000 Yaba pills. Investigators counted a total of 390,000 tablets. A handmade Thai muzzle-loading gun and a long shotgun also lay on the ground.
Major General Sathit Wainon, commander of the Pha-Muang forces, released the drug suppression tally since October 1, 2025 at noon. In that period, his units conducted 446 interception operations and arrested 428 suspects.
Massive drug haul since October
The seized amount is staggering: over 263 million methamphetamine pills, 20 kilos of heroin, nearly 6.7 tons of crystal meth, around 379 kilos of opium, and almost 1.1 tons of ketamine. In 63 firefights, 49 suspected members of smuggling networks died.
At 12:00 pm, Major General Sathit ordered a joint investigation of the crime scene. Doctors from Mae Fa Luang Hospital, representatives of the Chiang Rai public prosecutor’s office, and local police officers participated.
Evidence handed over for prosecution
The seized drugs and weapons were handed over to Mae Fa Luang Police Station. Investigators are now preparing criminal prosecution of the masterminds behind the operation.