A large quantity of drugs, mainly methamphetamine and ecstasy, was seized and seven suspects arrested by police in Bua Lai district on Saturday.
Pol Lt Gen Somprasong Yenthuam, the Provincial Police Region 3 commissioner, said the action followed reports from informants that drugs smuggled across the Mekong river to Thailand would be delivered to Bangkok along the Mitrapap Highway, through Nakhon Ratchasima.
Late on Saturday night, a black Toyota Vios and a white Isuzu pickup were stopped at a checkpoint near Moo 7 village in tambon Muang Phalai in Bua Lai district.
Police searched the pickup and found 500 packages containing meth pills, one million in total, 50 bags containing 50,000 ecstasy pills in total, and 19,700 pills of Erimin 5, or Nimetazepam, a prescription-only drug.
Two women – Prasan Kingwan, 44, and Piyawan Promnok, 30 – and five men – Chaiyan Piromjiew, 40, Narucha Piromjiew, 26, Teerawat Pramuanwong, 32, Nopparat Ounsomboon, 37 and Pongpak Vajra, 26 – were arrested.
The pickup, the car, a motorcycle and nine mobile phones were impounded for examination.
The seven suspects, the drugs and other seized goods were handed over to Bua Lai police for legal processing.
