Narcotics police and Thai military forces established roadblocks in anticipation of smuggling in the Golden Triangle region of northern Thailand. Police found drugs hidden in the roof of a pickup. Three men and four women from the nearby province of Chiang Mai were detained.
Methamphetamine costs USD$6 per pill in Thailand, making the seized drugs worth nearly USD $6 million.
Police said the vehicle was headed towards Bangkok.
The Golden Triangle is known for opium smuggling. Methamphetamine, or crystal meth, known as "yaba" in Thailand when mixed with caffeine, recently surged in smuggling through the region. The UN Office on Drugs and Crime reported that more than 1.4 billion tablets are produced each year in the region.
