Police have seized 508kg of crystal methamphetamine worth over 1 billion baht from a pickup truck parked near a temple in Nakhon Ratchasima’s Bua Yai district and later arrested a drug courier.
The seizure of the drugs came after police manning a checkpoint in Sida district signalled a suspected pickup truck to stop for a search on Monday night but the driver sped off. The officers gave chase but failed to catch him. They then radioed police in other areas for help and asked people for clues about the suspected vehicle.
Bua Yai police later received information from local residents that the pickup truck was parked near Wat Siangkho in tambon Kud Chok of Bua Yai district at around midnight.
The search of the pickup truck found 508 bars of crystal methamphetamine, each weighing 1kg, in 11 fertiliser sacks hidden inside the cab.
Police examined footage of closed-circuit television cameras that led to the arrest of Thinnakorn Khomsing, 30, at Bua Yai railway station, said national police chief Chakthip Chaijinda during a media briefing on Tuesday.
Mr Thinnakorn, a native of Nakhon Phanom’s Tha Uthen district, admitted he and another accomplice known only as Bee had been hired by a man to transport the drugs from Nakhon Phanom.
He did not know where the drugs would be delivered as the owner was supposed to give him instructions by phone about the route they had to use.
He claimed he and his friend had been paid 20,000 baht for the transport of the drugs.
Police were hunting down the other accomplice and the owner of the drugs. The seized crystal meth, if sold in the country, was worth 1 billion baht.
Pol Gen Chalermkiart Srivorakhan, deputy national police chief, said transit routes of drug smuggling had changed from the North to the Northeast following drastic measures to stem the influx along the northern border.
The drugs were believed to be destined for Malaysia via the South before being distributed to other countries. The drugs, if smuggled out of the country, could be fetched up to 10 billion baht, said Pol Gen Chalermkiat.
