Police killed a drug suspect from the Akha ethnic hill tribe in a shootout as they were trying to intercept the smuggling of 5 million methamphetamine pills in Chiang Rai.
The officers, led by Pol Col Kritsada Si-isan, of Narcotics Suppression Division 3, attempted to stop the suspect's pickup truck as the suspect opened fire at the officers stationed at a checkpoint on a local road in the province's Mae Chan district.
The attack led to a gun fight in the early hours on Feb 21.
The suspect, identified as Ako Sae-Mi, 29, was shot and died at the scene, police said.
According to investigators, Ako's car was being escorted by a pickup truck.
The driver of Ako's car managed to escape. In total, 25 sacks of meth pills were found hidden in the two vehicles.
Meanwhile, police have cracked down on drug gangs which are active along Thai-Myanmar-Lao borders in the North.
They arrested seven suspects and seized 500,000 methamphetamine pills and 8.5 kilogrammes of crystal methamphetamine.
Assets worth 45 million baht, belonging to two of the suspects, were frozen as authorities believed they may have been acquired using drug money, according to deputy national police chief Pol Gen Chalermkiat Srivorakhan.
In Prachuap Khiri Khan yesterday, a lot of drugs have entered the province, which is often used as a route to transport the drugs to the South, according to governor Thiraphan Nanthakit.
Most drugs, particularly methamphetamine pills, have been smuggled through the northern border.
Large amounts of drugs are then sold to Thai and Myanmar workers in fishing and construction industries, Mr Thiraphan said.
The governor added that 777 drug addicts in total have entered rehabilitation programmes in Chiang Rai province from October of last year to February.
