SAA

SAA event in Thailand on Tue 7th April 2026

7th April 2026

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Two suspects were killed and one arrested on the banks of the Mekong River during a shootout with a transnational car smuggling gang. The suspects were loading three motorcycles onto a boat before opening fire on Mekong River patrol officers in an attempt to escape.

Reporters stated that on the evening of April 6, 2026, the Mekong River Patrol Unit, Nakhon Phanom Area (NRKX Nakhon Phanom Area), under the command of Acting Lieutenant Commander Phetnakorn Phiukham, head of the Ban Phaeng Naval Station, received intelligence about the smuggling of crystal methamphetamine from a neighboring country to the banks of the Mekong River near Ban Na Khe Tha, Moo 3, Na. Khe Subdistrict, Ban Phaeng District, Nakhon Phanom Province. Officers were deployed to lie in wait at the location.

A motorboat approaching from the neighboring country's side was spotted. Night vision revealed three individuals in the boat, which docked at the steps leading to Ban Na Khe Tha. They then disembarked and moved to the public road along the Mekong River. They helped push three motorcycles out of the roadside bushes and down the stairs, then loaded two onto a boat. When officers identified themselves and requested a search, the suspects opened fire on the officers with several shots, leading to an exchange of gunfire.

After the gunfire ceased, officers cleared the area. They found one injured person on the fishing boat, later identified as Thao Kok, 23, and one deceased person on the Mekong River bank near the boat, identified as Phon, 21, a Thai-Lao mixed-race individual. Additionally, Thao Cha, 25, the boat driver, was found lying on the sand and was apprehended. Thao Kok, the injured person, was taken to Ban Phaeng Hospital but died later. The public prosecutor, the local administrative officer, and doctors from Ban Phaeng Hospital jointly conducted an autopsy. The bodies of the two deceased were taken to Wat Chaimongkol in Ban Phaeng Subdistrict to await their relatives for traditional funeral rites.

The clash occurred on the banks of the Mekong River. Three motorcycles without license plates, one handgun, and approximately 1,000 methamphetamine pills were seized. All items were handed over to the investigating officers at Ban Phaeng Police Station. A report was filed with superiors stating that the suspects resisted arrest, leading to a shootout that resulted in two fatalities. One accomplice was apprehended and is currently under investigation. A detailed report of the incident will be released later.

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Thailand (THA)

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