In recent days several shootouts have broken out between the drug smugglers and Thai police along the Myanmar-Thailand border, reports say.

11 people were killed in the clashes involving groups that had crossed the border and smuggled drugs from Myanmar. Thai police seized 5 backpacks containing a total of 500,000 “Yaba” a Thai nickname for methamphetamine pills, and a pistol.

On January 12th, around 1:30 am Thai time, five people were killed in a shootout between drug smugglers and police near Baan Huai Krai village in Mae Sai Township, Chiang Rai Province, according to a Mae Sai press publication..

At the scene, Thai authorities seized 5 backpacks containing a total of 500,000 “Yaba” ( methamphetamine) and a pistol.

Mae Sai press, a news agency of Thailand reported the drug smugglers were spotted about 3 km away from Pha Khon village in Tachileik Township, and 1.5 km away from the Myanmar-Thailand border.

Similarly, on January 10th, Thai police chased three cars in a hot pursuit, driving from Wiang Haeng township in Chiang Mai province, and one of them fell into a ditch and was seized with drugs also found. The people in the car escaped, the authorities announced.

In a separate incident on January 9th, Thai police and around 20 drug smugglers exchanged gunfire in Fang township near the Myanmar-Thailand border, killing 6 drug smugglers. Thai authorities said 3 guns, 4 cellphones and 19 backpacks containing a total of 300 kilograms of drugs were seized from the slain smugglers.

After the military coup in Myanmar, Thai police intercepted and arrested not only drug smugglers but also many illegal Myanmar migrant workers along the Myanmar- Thailand border.