A total of 100,000 methamphetamine pills, eight kilogrammes of crystal methamphetamine (ice) and some heroin with a street value of about 50 million baht were seized and two suspected drug traffickers killed in a clash with Thai soldiers on Saturday night near the Burmese border in Chiang Mai's Mae Ai district.
Maj-Gen Prakan Cholayuth, commander of the Pha Muang Force, said the clash took place late in the night after a 10-man patrol spotted a group of about six armed men near Huay San village in tambon Tha Ton of Mae Ai district.
The six men opened fire at the soldiers when told to stop for a search. The two groups traded fire for about 10 minutes before the intruders retreated across the border.
When the clash site was searched early Sunday morning, the Thai soldiers found the bodies of two men, one about 25 years old and the other about 40. They were wearing uniforms of Red Wa soldiers. Also recovered were three backpacks and one SKS rifle.
The Thai soldiers found 100,000 methamphetamine pills, about 500 grammes of heroin and 8kg of ice in the backpacks.
Maj-Gen Prakan believed the armed men were Red Wa soldiers hired to transport the drugs across the border into Thailand.
