A police lieutenant was shot dead and an informant was critically wounded after they were shot by drug traffickers who happened to realise the drug deal was a trap.

Killed was Pol Lt Kriangkrai Phumprueksachat, 54, a crime suppression officer attached to Chiang Rai provincial police command.

The informant for police was not identified. He was admitted to Chiang Rai hospital for serious shot wound on his head.

Chiang Rai police deputy chief Pol Col Charun Rerngtham said the police received a tipoff that drug traffickers were smuggling drugs into Doi Hang village in Muang district to sell to local agents.

A drug deal was successfully reached with the drug gang by the informant. The gang then fixed a location inside a jungle to deliver the drug to the informant.

The officer and the informant rode on a motorcycle to the jungle where the traffickers laid in wait.

They handed over 4,000 methamphetamines priced at 120,000 baht to both of them and left.

But shortly afterwards, four traffickers returned in two motorcycles and opened fire at the two and sped off after they happened to know the deal was a trap.

A brief gunfight happened after the other plainclothes police accompanying the officer hearing the gunshots and rushed to rescue them.

The traffickers left behind two motorcycles and the drugs and managed to escape into the jungle.

But Pol Lt Kriangkrai died at the scene and the informant critically injured.


Police officer shot dead by drug traffickers [at] - Thai PBS English News