The drugs had an estimated street value of Bt200 million.

The three suspects were Jamras Denpreecha, 54, Lertsak Phuripanyanant, 37, and another Shan man identified only as ‘Chai’. The former two men were arrested separately in Lat Phrao and Bang Kapi in Bangkok, while Chai was nabbed in Chiang Rai’s Mae Sai district on Monday.

Pol Maj-Gen Pornchai Charoenwong, chief of NSB Division 3, said the arrest came after an investigation found that Chai acted as a narcotics distributor in the North, smuggling illicit drugs in spare car tyres for storage in Bangkok. Undercover police conducted a sting operation to buy 27 kg of ice, which resulted in the drugs being delivered on Monday to a parking lot by Lertsak and a search of accomplice Jamras’ home, where a further 500,000 ‘yaba’ pills and 4.8kg of ice was found.

National police chief Pol General Chakthip Chaijinda said the gang was part of a network under the late Golden Triangle drug lord Khun Sa.

NSB chief Pol Lt-General Rewat Klinkesorn said police also issued arrest warrants for two accomplices – a Shan couple who ran a gold shop and money exchange service in Chiang Rai