NAKHON PHANOM: Authorities seized 1.29 million speed pills abandoned by fleeing smugglers on the bank of the Mekong River in the province’s That Phanom district.
Soldiers, police and local officials found three sacks containing the pills bearing the WY logo by the river in Khab Phuang, a village in tambon Nam in the early hours of Wednesday.
The smugglers on board a longtailed boat managed to flee, senior military officers said at a media briefing later that day.
The Office of the Narcotics Control Board and security officers said that speed pills seized along the border recently had been mixed with pesticides to reduce costs.
The drugs were being sold cheaply at 20-25 baht each to attract users, mostly workers and young people.
Increasing quantities of speed pills are being smuggled from Laos into northeastern Thailand. This has prompted security agencies to increase patrols both on land and water to stop the influx.
Over the past week, more than 10 million speed pills have been seized in That Phanom, officers said.