The Royal Thai Navy’s Mekong River patrol unit and paramilitary rangers seized about 6.4 million methamphetamine tablets from a boat on the Mekong River in the Chiang Saen district of Chiang Rai province on Monday night.

Acting on a tipoff, that drugs were to be smuggled into Thailand from Myanmar, a patrol boat, carrying naval officers and paramilitary rangers from the Pha Muang Task Force, was sent to patrol the Mekong River near the Golden Triangle.

The patrol spotted a boat with two men on board and signalled for them to stop for a search. The two men on the suspect vessel jumped into the river and escaped.

The boat was towed ashore and the troops opened 32 bags found on board, which contained the haul of methamphetamine.