CHACHOENGSAO – Police had to hunt down 13 Thai drug traffickers who went into the water to escape on Monday night in Bang Pakong District, Chachoengsao Province, before confiscating the drugs. ICE, or crystal methamphetamine, weighs more than 2,000 kilogrammes.
The Marine Police Division worked with the Narcotics Suppression Bureau to launch a large operation to raid and arrest an international drug smuggling gang while preparing to bring the ship out to international waters to distribute drugs and send them on boats of various sizes to target countries such as the Philippines and Australia.
During this operation, police officers worked alongside the Matchanu Special Operations Team to keep an eye out for suspicious activity at the TNS Bangpakong jetty port in Bang Pakong District.
On December 4, around 9:30 p.m., it was discovered that drugs were being brought to board the Srimongkolsap, a huge tugboat. The police officers launched an instant operation to apprehend the smugglers. At the time, the drug smuggling crew leaped into the water and fled, but special operations officers pursued them and apprehended a total of 13 Thai individuals.
A search of the boat revealed 90 boxes of crystal meth stashed beneath it, totaling 2,000 kilogrammes, all hidden and wrapped in bags of dried fruit. They turned over all of the suspects, as well as the seized items, to Narcotics Suppression Bureau detectives, and they will continue to extend the results to all parties concerned.
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