A Russian man and a Thai man are arrested after 296 packs of dried marijuana are seized from their pickup truck on May 9. (Photo supplied by Immigration Police)

A Russian man and two Thai men have been charged with drug smuggling after 296 packs of dried marijuana were seized from their pickup truck in Maha Sarakham province during the curfew.

Immigration Bureau chief Pol Lt Gen Sompong Chingduang on Thursday announced the arrests of the three drug suspects during a media briefing.

Kirill, 22, a Russian national; and two Thais nationals Kritsda, 27; and Surachart, 41, have been charged with colluding in smuggling drugs in category 5 and violating the emergency decree and night curfew, said Pol Lt Gen Sompong. Their family names were withheld.

Immigration police said two of them were caught on May 9 with the drug in their pickup truck. Mr Suchart fled but turned himself in to police on May 22.

Pol Lt Gen Sompong said immigration police had obtained information that the Russian suspect had often travelled to border provinces along the Mekong River. Over the past three years, the man had entered the country 17 times. His first entry was on July 14, 2017 and the latest entry was on March 16 this year, said the Immigration Bureau commissioner.

On May 9, the arresting team had obtained information that illicit drugs would be…