About 6 million tablets of methamphetamine and 160 kilogrammes of crystal methamphetamine were seized in Chiang Khan district of the Northeastern province of Loei late on Monday night.
In the far South, 1.6 million speed pills and 350kg of crystal methamphetamine have been seized in a major operation in Narathiwat province.
Members of the Chiang Khan police, Border Patrol police, marine police, the 21st Ranger Regiment Task Force and army were involved in the operation on the bank of the Mekong River in Loei.
The combined force was concealed in ambush beside the river in Ban Huay Suak, where they were told a large consignment of drugs would change hands, Thai media reported on Tuesday.
Late in the night, a sport utility vehicle with Bangkok licence plates Kor Chor 3484 arrived at the spot. When the team emerged from hiding and tried to stop it, the vehicle sped away.
During the pursuit that followed shots were fired at the fleeing car's tyres. The driver of the Toyota Fortuner lost control and it ran off the road.
The driver was seen fleeing from the vehicle and vanished into the night.
A search of the vehicle uncovered 6 million tablets of methamphetamine and 160kg of crystal meth. The speed pills were packed in 32 plastic bags and the crystal meth in 10 similar bags.
Later in the day, in the far South, 1.6 million speed pills and 350kg of crystal methamphetamine with a combined street value of 420 million baht were seized in Na Mom district of Narathiwat province.
Also confiscated as evidence were a pickup truck with Narathiwat licence plates and three mobile phones. Two suspects arrested, identified as Abdulhalim Dao, 47, from Narathiwat, and Raihan Samut, 35, from Songkhla, 4th Army Region commander Lt Gen Piyawat Nakwanich said.
Mr Abdulhalim allegedly admitted he was hired to smuggle the drugs from the North to Songkhla, while Mr Raihan admitted to being hired to take the drugs onward from there. No other details were revealed.
The operation was carried out by a combined military and police force from Pattani that has been pursuing the gang for some time.
