Two members of a large drug caravan were arrested and 5 million methamphetamine pills seized near the Mekong River in Chiang Khong district, Chiang Rai, early on Tuesday.
They were caught by a combined team of rangers from the Pha Muang Task Force and the navy's Mekong Riverine Unit, deployed to patrol the area overnight after authorities learned a large drug shipment was to be smuggled across the border into Chiang Khong.
A large number of men were spotted walking with sacks strapped on their backs near Kaeng Kai, an islet in the middle of the river in tambon Wiang, Chiang Khon district, late on Monday night. They were signalled to stop for a search, and dropped their sacks and fled. They were pursued and two men were arrested.
The patrol inspected the abandoned sacks. There were 25 of them, each found to contain 200,000 methamphetamine pills - 5 million in total.
The arresting team handed the two suspects and seized drugs over to Chiang Khong police station.
