40,000 meth pills seized, two drug traffickers nabbed

PHICHIT, Jan 2 (TNA) - Combined government forces early Friday shot and wounded a drug trafficker, arrested the other and seized about 40,000 methamphetamine pills in the northern province of Phichit, police said. The incident occurred at about 5.00 a.m. when soldiers and police personnel tried to stop a pickup van travelling by two men identified as Sompote Sripermpoon and Panapun Supakitkosol while they were travelling on a highway in Phichit province. Police said the two alleged drug smugglers fired at the government forces. Mr. Panapun was wounded and sent to a hospital for treatment later and Mr. Sompote surrendered. The two men told police during an investigation that they were hired to deliver the seized drug to unidentified agents in Phichit and nearby Phitsanulok province. Friday’s incident took place after officials on Thursday seized approximately 4,000 methamphetamine pills in Phitsanulok, forcing traffickers to change transportation route to Phichit, police said. (TNA)