Bangkok: Highway police in Tak province arrested a gang smuggling 8 million methamphetamine pills from the Chiang Rai border to customers in Ang Thong. The suspects were apprehended as they attempted to bypass Tak's vigilant police force, confessing to having used this route for drug transportation on two prior occasions.

According to Thai News Agency, the operation unfolded when two pickup trucks were intercepted by highway police in Tak province at a gas station on Phahonyothin Road in Nong Bua Tai subdistrict. The arrest occurred as the suspects, traveling in a white four-door Isuzu pickup truck with a Phitsanulok license plate and a closed-box pickup truck, stopped for a meal. The vehicles were found to contain 27 sacks of methamphetamine pills, neatly wrapped in black garbage bags, totaling 8 million pills.

During questioning, the suspects revealed they had been hired to transport the drugs from Chiang Rai to Ang Thong and Saraburi provinces, with payments of 200,000 baht for the first trip and 500,000 baht for the second. The arrest was made possible by the keen observations of the Tak Highway Police, who noticed irregularities in the vehicles' journey, prompting a technical investigation. The case has now been handed over to the Central Investigation Bureau for further legal proceedings and exploration of the wider drug trafficking network.

Today, Mr. Chusak Rueying, Governor of Tak province, visited the site to oversee the arrest and commend the officers for their efforts in combating drug trafficking. The successful operation underscores the ongoing challenges in addressing drug smuggling activities in the region.