Six drug smugglers were killed in a brief clash with soldiers patrolling in Fang district on Monday, and 1.2 million methamphetamine pills with Labubu stamps were seized.
Soldiers from the Pha Muang Task Force, acting on information, encountered a group of eight or nine people walking through a border forest near Ban Muang Chum in tambon Mon Pin at 6.49am, Col Meechai Nilasart, deputy commander of the force, said.
The soldiers called on them to stop for a search. They responded with gunfire directed at the soldiers. The ensuing gunfight lasted about five minutes.
After clearing the area, the troops found six dead men. The others escaped. Eight backpacks were found at the scene containing 1.2 million meth pills in packages, together with a long-barrelled firearm, a pistol and three mobile phones.
Col Meechai said the seized drug packages were stamped with the popular cartoon figure Labubu, a growing trend in the illegal market.
Since Oct 1, the task force has been involved in 37 cases of drug trafficking, arresting 44 suspects. There had been five armed clashes, resulting in the deaths of seven smugglers, Pha Muang commander Maj Gen Sathit Waiyanon said.