No province is free from drugs: Prajin

By The Nation

 

File photo: Justice Minister ACM Prajin JuntongFile photo: Justice Minister ACM Prajin Juntong

 

Prevention of smuggling key to solving problem, says ONCB chief.

 

THE SCOURGE of drugs has intensified in Thailand, with nearly every province getting affected despite the country’s serious battle against narcotics, according to the country’s justice minister. 

 

The Kingdom still faces problems with the manufacturing and smuggling of illicit drugs. The Golden Triangle, where the borders of Laos, Thailand and Myanmar meet, has been the world’s second-largest drug-manufacturing base. 

 

These facts were highlighted at an anti-narcotics workshop held in Bangkok yesterday to discuss the government’s plans to fight illicit drugs in the coming year. 

 

“There’s not a single province in Thailand that is completely free of drugs,” Justice Minister ACM Prajin Juntong, who is also deputy PM, said. 

 

He added that despite strict checks at borders, illicit drugs still get smuggled in via all means of transport – water, land and air. 

“Some gangs even bring in precursor chemicals to manufacture drugs here,” he said. 

 

His comments were backed by reports that drug-related arrests take place on a daily basis. In some cases, hauls involve millions of methamphetamine pills, and most inmates in Thailand have been incarcerated for drug-related offences. 

 

On Tuesday, police arrested four men – one Shan and three Taiwanese – and seized 200 bars of heroin worth Bt200 million in Chiang Mai.

 

On Monday, Navy officials seized 14 million methamphetamine pills shortly after they were smuggled across the Mekong River into Chiang Rai’s Chiang Khong district.

 

Prajin yesterday lamented that the problem with drugs was worsening even though the government has added the fight against drugs to the national agenda. 

 

“Now the government is asking each province to come up with its own anti-narcotics strategy,” he said. 

 

New strategy

 

Niyom Termsrisuk, secretary-general of the Office of Narcotics Control Board (ONCB), said his agency was actively implementing a drug-checkpoint strategy in collaboration with the Royal Thai Army and neighbouring countries. 

 

“This strategy focuses on 19 districts in four provinces because they are considered key transit points for drug smugglers,” he said, adding that 47 villages have been identified as being vulnerable. 

 

He explained that these villages in the border zone were most at risk because of poverty. Hence, he said, these villages would have to be developed to lower the risk, instead of just relying on drug suppression alone. 

 

Niyom also reckoned that prevention of drug smuggling would significantly reduce the problem in Thailand, adding that his agency will also be very proactive in curbing drug threats in border provinces in the South. 

 

From tomorrow, ONCB officials – backed by troops from the Fourth Army Area – will survey every village identified as facing a significant risk from drugs in the South. 

 

“We will survey target villages in southern border provinces on foot. If young drug abusers are found, they will be put in drug rehabilitation programmes,” Niyom said.

 

So far, some 340,000 Thais have undergone drug-rehabilitation programmes, he said. 

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30357614

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2018-11-01

 

legalize marijane to keep more of the population subdued and go after the importers of actual drugs. 

100k of ICE, millions of Yabba pills, it’s outta control 

Thailand and the golden triangle.the good old hub of manufacturing and distribution of drugs.one of the main reasons there's such a drug problem here is the lack of education,the quality of life and the bleak future that most youngster have to face.now to add to that drugs seem to be getting cheaper with the amounts being smuggled getting higher and higher.

'Scourge'! What drivel.

Will any prohibition fan please show me the thousands of addicts lying wasted in the streets, or in morgues?

With the hauls described, the morgues should be filled with more ODs than local Traffic deaths. Currently at 15,000 this year. 

So where are they? 

They're holding down jobs and enjoying all class A substances in moderation, just like most legal drinkers do. 

Fact is the entire war was built on the lie of a 'scourge'. 

Just because some people are unable to control their use, does not mean the entire adult population should have to suffer and hide like criminals for using historically totally legal chemicals to feel good. We are Adults. We dont need a nanny -a clueless one at that- to decide what not to ingest. 

Portugal is now unto it's 18th year of drug decriminalization, and they're way ahead of the "drugs mmm bad" morons who keep banging their heads against walls based on some BS moral panic about social collapse, or children being targeted (oh please, who feeds kids beer or tobacco, let alone other drugs? It's illogical.) All prohibition does is fill jails with recreational users, waste police resources chasing a false crisis, while giving criminals a licence to print money. 

Give it a rest. 

The cannabis model is the ONLY sustainable response to all drugs. 

Once you actually bother to learn the truth about the greatly exaggerated dangers and risks of moderate social use. If you want your eyes opened, read "Narconomics". You'll want to lynch your drug-phobic government "leaders" after that! 

Edited November 1, 20187 yr by Small Joke

3 hours ago, unamazedloso said:

legalize marijane to keep more of the population subdued and go after the importers of actual drugs. 

Legalize all drugs.

Then you don't have to go after anyone.

Just control it and Tax it all.   Win Win,   I would say.

"“There’s not a single province in Thailand that is completely free of drugs,” Justice Minister ACM Prajin Juntong, who is also deputy PM, said," the guys a genius.

He also acknowledges that the golden triangle, is the second largest producer of drugs but hey, then sends troups to the southern border.

1 hour ago, Small Joke said:

 ...

Portugal is now unto it's 18th year of drug decriminalization, and they're way ahead of the "drugs mmm bad" morons who keep banging their heads against walls based on some BS moral panic about social collapse, or children being targeted (oh please, who feeds kids beer or tobacco, let alone other drugs? It's illogical.) All prohibition does is fill jails with recreational users, waste police resources chasing a false crisis, while giving criminals a licence to print money. 

Give it a rest. 

The cannabis model is the ONLY sustainable response to all drugs. 

Once you actually bother to learn the truth about the greatly exaggerated dangers and risks of moderate social use. If you want your eyes opened, read "Narconomics". You'll want to lynch your drug-phobic government "leaders" after that! 

 

Interesting read indeed ...:

 

Narconomics - Wainwright, Tom.pdf

 

3 hours ago, Small Joke said:

'Scourge'! What drivel.

Will any prohibition fan please show me the thousands of addicts lying wasted in the streets, or in morgues?

With the hauls described, the morgues should be filled with more ODs than local Traffic deaths. Currently at 15,000 this year. 

So where are they? 

They're holding down jobs and enjoying all class A substances in moderation, just like most legal drinkers do. 

Fact is the entire war was built on the lie of a 'scourge'. 

Just because some people are unable to control their use, does not mean the entire adult population should have to suffer and hide like criminals for using historically totally legal chemicals to feel good. We are Adults. We dont need a nanny -a clueless one at that- to decide what not to ingest. 

Portugal is now unto it's 18th year of drug decriminalization, and they're way ahead of the "drugs mmm bad" morons who keep banging their heads against walls based on some BS moral panic about social collapse, or children being targeted (oh please, who feeds kids beer or tobacco, let alone other drugs? It's illogical.) All prohibition does is fill jails with recreational users, waste police resources chasing a false crisis, while giving criminals a licence to print money. 

Give it a rest. 

The cannabis model is the ONLY sustainable response to all drugs. 

Once you actually bother to learn the truth about the greatly exaggerated dangers and risks of moderate social use. If you want your eyes opened, read "Narconomics". You'll want to lynch your drug-phobic government "leaders" after that! 

+1... 

Totally agree with you, contender for best post of the year...

 

The so called addicts can be found everywhere, in every disco, karaoke and dancing place around the country surely...

I dont know much the Thailand scene but I used to be familiar with Cambodian disco and OMG, the amount of stuff they put in their system there...

Ketamine, ecstasy and so on...

Who? Chinese and Korean businessmen on business trips, local business owners, government officials and so on... Not the "addicts" that governments love to paint indeed...