Pha Muang Task Force chief Major-General Banjerd Changpoonthong and Chiang Rai police chief Maj-General Wanchai Suwansirikhate inspected the incident site in tambon Mae Salong Nai where patrolling officers encountered an armed group of up to 10 drug-smuggling Lahu suspects.
The officers said they signalled for the suspects to stop to be search but the suspects opened fire and threw a grenade at them, resulting to a brief gunfight that resulted in the deaths.
Police seized seven backpacks containing the ‘ya ba’ and an M76 grenade.
Banjerd said the operation was the result of a previous investigation which found that the caravan would come through the area between April 8-20. He said the drugs would have a street value of Bt31 million.
In a separate incident, Wanchai told yesterday’s press conference that police manning a checkpoint in Phan, Chiang Rai on Friday had arrested Suriyan Wuyeu, 20, and seized Bt100,000 worth of ‘ya ba’.
Wanchai said Suriyan had been travelling on a Bangkok-bound bus.
Suriyan reportedly confessed to having been hired by a person in Chiang Rai to deliver the drugs to a customer in Bangkok.