Suspected drug trafficker gunned down in northern Thai tourist spot

A suspected drug trafficker was gunned down by a Thai army unit and a large haul of "speed pills" were seized in the neighborhood of a tourist town in northern Thailand on Monday.

The drug suspect was identified as a Thai national who was killed after a brief shoot-out on a road in Pai district of Mae Hong Son province, about 880 km north of Bangkok, said Col. Worathep Boonya, head of a task force attached to the 17th Infantry Regiment.

Around 400,000 metaphetamine tablets(Ya Ba), contained in fertilizer bags, and a shotgun were seized from the pickup truck driven by the drug suspect, who had apparently traveled from Pai, a renowned tourist attraction in the Thai-Myanmar border area, to an unknown destination, Col. Worathep said.

He confirmed that the authorities will continue to crack down on cross-border drug trafficking even during a festive New Year season. Endit