Bangkok: A thrilling police chase ended in the arrest of a former karate champion after his sedan, which was without license plates, ran out of gas. The suspect was apprehended following the discovery of 2 million methamphetamine pills in the vehicle's trunk.

According to Thai News Agency, the incident began when a highway patrol car noticed the suspicious white sedan while conducting security patrols along Asian Highway 41 in Ban Na Doem District. The officers attempted a routine inspection, but the driver sped away, leading the police on a chase that spanned over 20 kilometers. The pursuit concluded when the sedan ran out of fuel on the roadside in Moo 2, Tha Sathon Subdistrict, Phum Phin District. The driver attempted to flee on foot but was quickly caught by the officers.

The suspect, identified as 19-year-old Siriraj, confessed to being hired to transport the methamphetamine pills. A search of the vehicle uncovered three sacks wrapped in black plastic bags and two more sacks in the trunk. In addition to the drugs, police found 50,000 baht in cash and two mobile phones.

Siriraj, who was once a national gold medalist in karate, revealed during questioning that he had recently graduated from high school in Thung Song District, Nakhon Si Thammarat Province. He got involved with the drug trafficking group through Facebook and admitted to transporting drugs for hire on two occasions. On his first trip, he delivered drugs to Songkhla Province, earning 50,000 baht. For this second delivery, he borrowed a car from an acquaintance and was apprehended while transporting the methamphetamine pills on the Southern Highway.

Police have charged Siriraj with selling narcotics without a license, committing the act for commercial purposes, and causing distribution among the public, along with illegal drug use. Authorities plan to coordinate with other agencies to expand the investigation and apprehend additional members of the criminal network for prosecution.