CHIANG RAI: Eight members of a drug caravan were killed and 45 rucksacks of 4.5 million methamphetamine pills seized following a clash with a military patrol along the Thai-Myanmar border in Mae Fa Luang district in the early hours of Saturday.
Soldiers from the Pha Muang task force were sent to patrol border areas in Mae Fa Luang district at around 1.30am on Saturday. While patrolling a forested area at Ton Muang village in tambon Mae Salong, about 10 men carrying the rucksacks were spotted walking through a natural border crossing, Thai media reported.
The patrol signalled them for a search, but the group opened fire in an attempt to escape.
The soldiers returned fire. Both sides clashed for about 10 minutes. More security forces were later deployed to the scene.
At around 5.45am, the forces carried out an inspection and found 45 rucksacks scattered over the…
