Three drug couriers killed in border clash as troops seize 390,000 meth pills

Three suspected drug couriers were killed in a border clash as Thai troops seized 390,000 methamphetamine pills.

The alleged smugglers were reportedly moving the large narcotics haul across the Thai border when they were confronted by Pha Muang Task Force officers in Chiang Rai on July 28.

Soldiers identified themselves and ordered the group to stop for a search before the suspects opened fire, sparking a five-minute gunfight.

Authorities said the clash followed a tip-off about the cross-border smuggling operation. A surveillance unit was then dispatched to monitor the area.

After the skirmish, reinforcement units were later deployed to secure the area the following morning. Three suspected drug couriers were found dead in the forest while no troops were injured.

Police also recovered three modified sacks containing around 390,000 meth pills in total. The drugs were seized as evidence and handed over to Mae Fah Luang Police Station for further legal action.

Thailand has become a notorious hub for drug production and trafficking. In the north of the country, the ‘Golden Triangle' area shares borders with Laos and Myanmar, and has produced large amounts of opium since the 1950s but focus in recent years has shifted to the more profitable methamphetamine.

Officials believe most of the meth is produced in the Shan State of Myanmar before being distributed through neighbouring countries where prices are higher before ending up in the most expensive markets of Australia, Japan, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Singapore.

However, cracking down on drug production has been complicated by the influx of crime gangs from China and the Burmese civil war, which has seen the army take over the country - along with control of lucrative drugs chains.