Pubdate: Tue, 11 May 2004 Source: Nation, The (Thailand) Copyright: 2004 Nation Multimedia Group Contact: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1963 Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/areas/Thailand DRUG DEALERS SHOT DEAD IN POLICE STING Three alleged drug traffickers were killed and more than 400,000 methamphetamine pills seized in a police sting operation in a Chiang Mai border town yesterday. Lt-Colonel Bunyasait Rodchaprom, an inspector from the Narcotics Suppression Division who headed the operation, said undercover police used Bt10 million cash to lure a gang of methamphetamine traffickers into a trap in Chiang Mai's Mae Tang district. Two of the dead have been identified as Thinthai Jua, 22, and Amnuay Yang, 22, both residents of Mae Hong Son's Pai district. Bunyasit said police set up a meeting with five suspects who were to deliver 440,000 methamphetamine pills to the front of Panglan Temple in Mae Tang at 4am yesterday. After the suspects delivered the drugs, police identified themselves and tried to arrest them. Two fled on a motorcycle, two others opened fire and the fifth fled in a pickup. After a 15-minute exchange of fire, the two were found dead. Police chased the pickup and were involved in a half-hour gunfight before the third suspect, Amnuay, was found dead. - --- MAP posted-by: Thunder