The heavy truck with a false compartment holding 655 packages of heroin, a total of 232 kilogrammes of the drug
CHIANG RAI – In a combined operation Myanmar’s Military and Thailand’s narcotics control police have seized 232 kilograms of heroin in Tachilek border town, just before it was to be smuggled into Thailand across the Chiang Rai border.
Officials stopped a white freight truck with license plate number SHN 9D/7559 on the Mong Hsat-Tachilek Road opposite Mae Sai district of Chiang Rai.
The freight truck was heading for Tachilek and carrying about 100 bags of cement. After a thorough search officials found 655 plastic packages containing a total of 232 kilograms of heroin hidden in a concealed compartment.
The drug haul has an estimated value of 70 million baht in Myanmar, however if it entered Thailand its value would soar to about 700 million baht, a officials said.
Myanmar’s military officials arrested three men traveling on the truck. They were identified as Ai Tan, 40 of Mong Hsat town of the Shan State, Aye Lui, 42 of Tachileik town, who was wearing a Wa soldier’s uniform, and Ai Su, 22 of Shan’s Pangsang, which is a major Wa town.
Authorities also found two pistols, a shotgun and an M79 grenade launcher on the truck.
The heavy truck with a false compartment holding 655 packages of heroin, a total of 232 kilogrammes of the drug