Police seized more than two million methamphetamine pills from an abandoned van, which had been modified to look like an ambulance, following a car chase involving police from Saraburi province, through Ayutthaya, into Bangkok’s Min Buri area, today (Sunday).

According to the commander of Saraburi provincial police, Pol Maj-Gen Chayanont Meesati, officers had received a tipoff about an attempt to smuggle a shipment of illegal narcotics from the north-eastern province of Loei to its destination in a southern province in a modified ambulance. The police had kept a lookout for the suspect vehicle on the Asian highway.

He said police managed to intercept the lead car, but failed to stop the ambulance, which sped away at high speed, with its siren wailing to clear traffic.

Shots were fired from the speeding ambulance at the pursuing police cars, but they missed their target. Arriving at anintersection in Saraburi, the ambulance slammed into the rear of car stopping at the traffic lights, but continued its escape.

The ambulance was later found stuck in a pothole in a lane in Min Buri district, where it had been abandoned. Theoccupants had apparently fled in haste, leaving behind a large number of meth pills, estimated at more than two million.

Police claim that they believe the suspects are a couple who used to be rescue workers, adding that a similar trick, of using a modified ambulance to smuggle illegal narcotics, has been recorded on at least two previous occasions.