Thai customs officials display the drugs found inside a fuel tanker on entry into Thailand at Nong Khai. - VT
VIENTIANE (Vientiane Times/Asia News Network): Thai police working at the Customs Office in Nong Khai province on Wednesday (Nov 23) seized almost 4 million amphetamine pills, 10kg of crystal meth and other items worth 100 million baht after stopping and searching a fuel tanker.
The tanker was entering Thailand after crossing the Lao-Thai Friendship Bridge from Vientiane.
The drugs were discovered inside the empty fuel tank. The Thai driver, who was arrested at the scene, said he had been hired to bring the drugs from Laos into Thailand by a Lao woman, who paid him 50,000 baht.
After he removed the fuel from the tanker, he picked up the drugs at a pre-arranged location on the 450 Year Road in Vientiane.
Thai police said the case merited a harsh penalty because the man was transporting a Type 1 drug. They are continuing with their interrogation of the driver in the hope of gleaning information that will lead them to the source of the drugs.
