Thai justice minister turns to motorcyclists in push for "War on Drugs" victory - dangles 500 MB 5% carrot

[webfact]

Picture: Thai Rath

 

Thai justice minister Somsak Thepsuthin has turned to the ubiquitous motorcyclists on Thailand's roads for help in a final push to win the so-called war on drugs in the country.

 

But he has warned hands off on cannabis - that's legal or at least a grey area.

 

Somsak is mobilizing a potential 200,000 strong two wheel army in Thailand made up of "wins" (motorcycle taxi riders) and "riders" (motorcycle delivery guys).

 

Bangkok alone is thought to have 81,970 'wins' and 100,000 'riders' but the authorities realise that unregistered people would add to those numbers.

 

Nationwide the figure is thought to be 200,000 plus, reported Thai Rath.

 

The idea is that such motorcyclists would be the "eyes and ears" on the ground when drug deals go down in the suburbs.

 

File photo

 

Somsak said that riders shouldn't think that by busting a small dealer the 5% due to them would be small.

 

It may lead to the arrest of bigger players.

 

And a chance for five percent of the 10.3 billion baht seized by the Justice Ministry in drug cases in the last year.

 

(A sum that exceeded JM targets by 300 million).

 

In all those cases informants among the public are due 500 million baht, he said.

 

He hoped that with the motorcyclists on board he could take the war on drugs to every village and housing estate and win the day.

 

But he warned people not to call 1386 about weed.

 

Though there are some grey areas and it is still debatable whether the drug will be on the narcotics list again in the future, for now the drug is legal. 

 

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[ThailandRyan]

2 minutes ago, webfact said:

The idea is that such motorcyclists would be the "eyes and ears" on the ground when drug deals go down in the suburbs.

You mean instead of being the ones transporting it by motorbike.  I saw a Win rider just 2 days ago being stitched up in Sai Mai while his motorbike and all of it's contents were laid on the hood of a police pick-up at a checkpoint.....

[2008bangkok]

Someway to divide the country getting everyone to grass on each other.

[klauskunkel]

If I report the motorcyclists driving on the sidewalk, will I still get my 5,000 baht reward, even though they are now working for the Justice Ministry? 

[Tarteso]

And this speech, has been thought by him alone without the help of anyone?  Interesting. ????

[Swiss1960]

Do they get the money also, when they report themselves for using and dealing? In Bangkok, specially at night time, it is scary how stoned some of these mototaxy drivers are... 

[NE1]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

Thai justice minister Somsak Thepsuthin has turned to the ubiquitous motorcyclists on Thailand's roads for help in a final push to win the so-called war on drugs in the country.

Police must have turned down his request....????

[ed strong]

America started a 'war on drugs' in the 70's since then there are more drugs than ever in the country. Definately not working, or perhaps it is, its keeps the prisons full and the police busy enough and to look there are actually doing something.

 

Although not involved in drugs myself i have met a few odious charachters around and you can be safely sure that the police are 100% involved in the distrubution of drugs in Thailand.

[BTB1977]

Can't spend 500 million baht if dead. Snitches in the drug world most definitely end up dead. And sometimes there families. So he wants everyday delivery people to do the job his department and men can't.  Good luck with that plan. 

[Regyai]

56 minutes ago, BTB1977 said:

Can't spend 500 million baht if dead. Snitches in the drug world most definitely end up dead. And sometimes there families. So he wants everyday delivery people to do the job his department and men can't.  Good luck with that plan. 

Not really

 

Thailand has been the L.O.S. (Land of Snitches) for as long as I can remember. If they're not found following the national pastime of dobbing each other in, they certainly can be relied upon to throw any and everyone to the wolves if captured - when their DNA seems to cause an inability to hold their own water.

 

And to be honest the Thais aren't much better ????.

[rudi49jr]

I read somewhere that there are (at least) 5 million yaba addicts in Thailand. How are you going to win the war on drugs with 5 million yaba addicts alone? Because that’s not even counting all the other  addicts hooked on hard stuff like heroine and such. 

[sambum]

When I first saw the headline I thought bikers = "Hell's Angels" types, and had a giggle!

 

But apparently, he means delivery type bikers, and I am sure that they are going to risk their livelihoods and /or lives by grassing up the drug suppliers (Not!)

 

How's about the RTP doing the job that they are supposed to be doing, rather than begging for help from people that are only trying to put food on the table for themselves and their families?

[waders123]

Snitches get stitches.....

Sad to dangle money in front of people to rat on their fellow man during a catastrophic economy event.

[hotchilli]

18 hours ago, webfact said:

And a chance for five percent of the 10.3 billion baht seized by the Justice Ministry in drug cases in the last year.

I wonder what the RTP percent is?

 

[bristolgeoff]

The justice minister must think the moto drivers are the way foward to stop  this trade.They are the ones that transport everything and anything around a big city like bangkok