More equipment to Thai officials to curb drug smuggling

by Usa Pichai
Thursday, 01 October 2009 21:19

Chiang Mai (Mizzima) – The Thai military has made available more equipment to officials in border areas to check drug smuggling, even as 600,000 methamphetamine tablets and two traffickers were arrested near the border with Burma on Monday.

Gen Ratchakrit Kanchanawat, Chief of Staff of the Thai Royal Army on Wednesday presided over the ceremony providing armaments and equipments, including motorcycles, safety helmets and solar cell electricity generating sets for troops and task forces along the borders.

Gen Ratchakit said 80 per cent of the drug trafficking area is still in the northern border and some parts of the northeastern border. He said to curb illicit trafficking of drugs, it is necessary to increase the efficiency of officials working along the border with neighbouring countries like Burma, Lao and Cambodia.

“The equipment and armament back up would help soldiers reach the area easily and faster. They can have patrols more often and cover places difficult to enter. The solar cell would help in communication with the military bases,” he said.

Meanwhile, Suthep Tueksuban, Thailand’s Deputy Prime Minister on national security on Tuesday presided over a press conference in Bangkok announcing the seizure of a large cache of drugs. With him were Pol. Gen. Patheep Tanprasert and Pol. Gen. Chumpol Manmai, who are both in the running for the post of the Thai Royal Police Commander-in-Chief.

Chiang Rai officials on Monday seized 600,000 methamphetamines and arrested two traffickers, who are reportedly linked to former drug kingpin Khunsa of Burma, on a road in Mae Sai district, near the infamous Golden Triangle, about a kilometer from the Burma border.

The seized drugs are worth about 180 million Baht (5,400,000 US$).

The suspects, Prasitthichai Unhapattana, (50) and Rewat Chaisurin (52) are both identified as Thais and were arrested for trafficking. The men confessed that they made runs twice, and received 150,000 Baht (US$ 4,500 US$) each time.

The group operated a car garage but they did not repair ordinary cars. They handled cars, which were to be used to traffic drugs by making secret chambers to hide the drugs. The made over cars were then used to transport other products in order to avoid suspicion and investigation by officials. The vehicles were used to distribute the drugs to agents and customers later.

The arrest and seizure on Monday is the second largest in Thailand in a month. In early September, Bangkok police arrested drug smugglers and seized four kilograms of Ice pills worth about 24 million Baht (730,000 US$), which is reportedly the biggest haul in 10 years.

Officials in Thailand suspect nearly 100 million narcotic pills are stashed around Bangkok for distribution and the number of drug smugglers and users would be around 100,000.