BANGKOK: Thai police intercepted a truck carrying a million methamphetamine pills bound for Malaysia.
Narcotics Suppression Bureau (NSB) commander Maj-Gen Tanai Aphichartseni said two Thai nationals from Songkla were arrested four days ago in a predawn raid on a 10-wheeler lorry in Mae Chan district, Chiang Rai.
“Both of the suspects admitted they were instructed to transport the drugs to Hatyai first and then Sadao before smuggling it into Malaysia.
The police found 10 bags full of the pills inside the lorry,” he said at a press conference.
He added that the two men were paid 400,000 baht (RM50,000) to load the lorry with oranges when they stopped in Chiang Mai en route to southern Thailand in bid to hoodwink the authorities from discovering the lorry’s true consignment.
Gen Tanai said the authorities had put both men under surveillance before making the arrest and added that both men had admitted to making several trips to Malaysia and Southern Thailand before this, netting 200,000 baht (about RM25,000) for each trip.
“This time they received 400,000 baht because of the higher amount of drugs they transported,” he said, adding that the police suspect the mastermind is in Hatyai and would be issuing an arrest warrant for him.