Van driver caught with 4m meth pills

AMNAT CHAROEN –  Police seized 4 million methamphetamine pills worth an estimated 200 million baht and arrested a van driver following a late-night chase in this northeastern province.

The arrest was made shortly before midnight on Saturday after police received a tip-off that a large drug shipment was being transported from the border area into the country’s interior,  using a Bangkok-registered van.

Chanuman police set up surveillance along a road linking Ban Hin Siw and Ban Na Yang in Chanuman district. When a Volkswagen van matching the description was spotted, police signalled for it to stop.

The driver instead attempted to flee, police said, triggering a pursuit before police intercepted the vehicle and arrested the suspect, identified only as Kriengkrai, 54.

A search of the van found 10 sacks containing about 4 million meth pills, or ya ba, with an estimated street value of 200 million baht, Pol Lt Col Komsan Khamwan, investigative inspector at Chanuman police station, said on Sunday.

Mr Konsan allegedly admitted he had been hired by a Lao man known as “Mr Ta” to collect the drugs and deliver them to customers further inland. He told police he had been promised 100,000 baht for the job but would not be paid because he was arrested before completing the delivery.

The suspect was charged with possession of a Category 1 drug with intent to sell.

Pol Lt Col Komsan said police were expanding the investigation to identify others involved in the trafficking operation.