Anti-narcotics operations in Surat Thani in high gear

[webfact]

Anti-narcotics operations in Surat Thani in high gear

By The Nation

 

File photo

 

Authorities have been trying to thwart the flow of illicit drugs to tourist islands like Samui and Pha Ngan.

 

“Our efforts intensify during full-moon parties,” Office of the Narcotics Control Board (ONCB) secretary-general Sirinya Sitdhichai revealed yesterday during his working trip to Surat Thani province. 

 

He went there to follow up on the anti-narcotics operation in the province, which attracts a huge number of tourists every day.

 

Full-moon parties on the province’s Pha Ngan island, for example, are world-famous.

 

Sirinya said drug problems in the province’s villages and communities had eased after authorities stepped up crackdowns on drugs since last year. Illicit drugs, however, had continued to plague urban zones and tourist areas, he reckoned. 

 

He said in tourist areas, it would not be appropriate to close pubs and require all patrons there to undergo urine tests.

 

“Those kinds of operations will only hurt the tourism industry,” he said, “So, we have opted for scrutinising vehicles heading to tourist zones instead. For example, we are keeping watchful eyes on ferry terminals.”

 

Deputy Surat Thani Governor Prawes Thaiprayoon said some tourists tended to think that going high was a way of letting their hair down and having utmost fun during their holidays.

 

“So, we are constantly monitoring full-moon parties. Each party has between 10,000 and 60,000 revellers,” he said, “So far, no one has openly abused drugs.”

 

Don Sak Police Station superintendent Pol Colonel Sutti Nitiakarapong said each methamphetamine tablet could fetch up to Bt250 on a tourist island. In other parts of Surat Thani, each pill is sold at between Bt100 and Bt150.

 

“This year, we have already intercepted more than 400,000 meth tablets and eight kilos of crystal meth. Drug mules are mostly from southern border provinces and often they travel with young kids in the hope of not arousing the suspicion of officials,” he said.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30355061

-- © Copyright The Nation 2018-09-24

[RotMahKid]

56 minutes ago, webfact said:

He said in tourist areas, it would not be appropriate to close pubs and require all patrons there to undergo urine tests.

Here we go again, all for the sake of tourism

 

56 minutes ago, webfact said:

“Those kinds of operations will only hurt the tourism industry,”

Then it's useless to fight drugs on those island, because if you stop the drugs on the full moon parties, also a lot of the tourists will go somewhere else to get there needs, it's one or the other; you fight drugs or not at all!

If you skip testing the Thais for the sake of Tourism you fail to control the drug use totally, or do the Thai as always think it's only the tourists that use drugs and it's only their fault.

Sometimes I think that the police brings all the confiscated drugs into the market again to get the money, for sure it happens, but who am I to prove that ^^ Fact is you never see them destroy it in public or with the press as witness. 

Edited September 24, 2018 by RotMahKid

[from the home of CC]

no country has ever won the war on drugs and no country ever will.