Justice Minister Inspects Chemical Precursor Controls at Border

Picture courtesy of Daily News.

Justice Minister Pol Col Tawee Sodsong and General Niphat Thonglek, Assistant Minister to the Prime Minister’s Office and chair of the Sub-committee on Chemical Precursors, visited Mae Sot Customs House in Tak province on 24 August to inspect operations aimed at intercepting chemicals suspected of being used to manufacture methamphetamine and crystal meth.

They were joined by senior officials including Mr Niyom Termsrisuk, Assistant to the Justice Minister, Tak governor Chuchip Phongchai, and Mr Mana Siriphitayawat, Deputy Secretary-General of the Office of the Narcotics Control Board (ONCB). The delegation received a briefing on measures to block and monitor chemical precursors moving through Thailand’s western border crossings.

Pol Col Tawee emphasised that controlling chemical precursors was crucial in tackling drug production. He noted that most methamphetamine entering Thailand was manufactured in neighbouring countries, making border control a vital element of enforcement. “If we can cut off supply lines at the Mae Sot border, the impact on drug inflows will be significant,” he said, adding that current seizures represented only a fraction of what is believed to cross into Thailand each year.

The minister highlighted a major case on 20 August, when authorities discovered more than 800 tonnes of precursor chemicals hidden in a warehouse in Mae Sot, destined for neighbouring countries’ production sites. Such quantities, officials warned, were enough to produce vast amounts of methamphetamine and crystal meth.

Officials reported that between 2024 and 2025, 12 major seizures of precursor chemicals had taken place along the Thai border, five of them in Tak province alone. Pol Col Tawee stressed that anyone involved in the illegal import, export or misuse of chemicals would face prosecution.

The sub-committee’s ongoing work, he said, was part of the government’s wider strategy to curb drug trafficking at its source, through stricter checks on imports, exports and transshipments of high-risk chemicals. Regular monitoring and evaluation of enforcement measures will follow in order to strengthen long-term prevention.

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https://aseannow.com/topic/1370552-dsi-probes-805-tonne-chemical-haul-tied-to-drug-trade/

  Adapted by Asean Now from Daily News 2025-08-26