Authorities in Thailand seize more than a ton of crystal methamphetamine thought bound for Australia

By JINTAMAS SAKSORNCHAI
Associated Press

BANGKOK (AP) — Law enforcement officials in Thailand say they seized more than a ton of crystal methamphetamine in a southern province last week that they believed was bound for Australia. Officials from police and the Narcotics Control Board announced that the 1.2 metric tons of the drug likely came from Thailand’s northern border region, which is part of the Golden Triangle where the borders of Myanmar, Laos and Thailand meet. Myanmar is a major producer of methamphetamine, which over the past decade has become the dominant illegal drug in Southeast Asia for both domestic consumption and export. The methamphetamine seized in Songkhla province was disguised as packages of tea. Officials announced that the three suspects believed to be transporting the drug had escaped.