Five suspected drug traffickers were shot and almost 500,000 methamphetamine pills were seized after a skirmish in Chiang Rai province Thursday.
A military patrol came across the suspected smugglers carrying backpacks in the early hours of Thursday in the area where the forested borders of Thailand, Laos and Myanmar meet, long a lucrative hub for the illegal drug trade.
Refusing to be searched, the group of five opened fire and a firefight ensued for about five minutes. The suspected drug traffickers were killed and no Thai soldiers were injured, the Pha Muang Task Force said in a statement on Friday.
Premchai Premkamol, an officer with the task force, told AFP news agency…
“Narcotics have been very prevalent at the border but recently there has been an order from the commander to step up law enforcement efforts.”
The latest clash follows two similar incidents – the…
