Thai Police Make 2 Million-Dollar Drugs Haul

[webfact]

Thai police make 2 million-dollar drugs haul

BANGKOK, November 26, 2010 (AFP) - Two Malaysian men could face the death penalty after being arrested with drugs worth more than two million dollars, in a haul which Thai police Friday suspect was being trafficked through the country.

Teh Soo Keat, 33, and Tan Choon Kuant, 49, were found with 20 kilos (44 pounds) of crystalline methamphetamine -- also known as "ice" -- and 1.2 kilos (2.6 pounds) of heroin wrapped in black plastic in the boot of their vehicle.

Police said the "ice" alone was worth 60 million baht (1.98 million dollars).

The pair were arrested on Wednesday morning in Petchaburi province after officers stopped and searched their car.

Colonel Panudej Pattanatham, superintendent of Cha-Am police station, said he believed the drugs were headed for Malaysia via the southern city of Hat Yai.

Panudej said both men were charged with possession of drugs for trafficking which carries a maximum penalty of death.

Thailand, along with other countries in the region, has seen a marked increase in seizures of methamphetamine as the world opiate trade declines, according to a recent UN study.

In June the country incinerated 190 million dollars' worth of drugs -- including 20.2 million methamphetamine tablets weighing 2.5 tonnes -- seized in a total of 3,211 cases.

-- (c) Copyright AFP 2010-11-26

[TAWP]

A note for some: There is no 4th amendment here in Thailand, the police can and will stop you, search your person and car - inside and out - without 'reasonable cause', and they will most likely find whatever you are trying to transport. And no crying over how unfair it is will save you.

[asiawatcher]

These guys need the ultimate penalty. No question. Send the message.

[brahmburgers]

I don't agree they need the 'ultimate penalty'

Drugs can be debilitating and life-wrecking for sure, but let's put it all in fair-minded perspective.

For example: how debilitating is 20 Kg of crystal meth compared with 20 Kg of Johnny Walker Whiskey?

The answer would lie somewhere in who uses it and what actions ensue.

Is a drunk man smashing his car in to a pick-up truck full of students more excusable than a junkie lying on the floor of his run-down apartment?

Lock him up, yes. Kill him? No. (which one of the two culprits am I referring to?) ....good question, I'm as miffed as you should be.

[brahmburgers]

dollar estimates for drugs gained from busts are always waaaaay over the top.

It's another argument for legalizing the stuff. Whatever it's worth, if it's legalized, then it's more likely to get taxed. What's the tax revenue on 2 million bucks? Plus, if it's legal, then it can more likely be monitored, (including its levels of toxicity) and addictive personalities can get counseling and possibly less harmful drugs if they choose to get free from addiction. When alcohol was illegal (during US's prohibition), it begat bathtub gin and other hyper toxic substances.

There are always people who will abuse themselves. If they're criminalized and holed up underground, then they're much harder to deal with. The current drug laws (copied note for note from American laws, btw), do just that - they criminalize people and compel them to scurry away like cockroaches. Drug dealers get rich, and society rings its hands impotently.

[mightyharriss]

I don't agree they need the 'ultimate penalty'

Drugs can be debilitating and life-wrecking for sure, but let's put it all in fair-minded perspective.

For example: how debilitating is 20 Kg of crystal meth compared with 20 Kg of Johnny Walker Whiskey?

The answer would lie somewhere in who uses it and what actions ensue.

Is a drunk man smashing his car in to a pick-up truck full of students more excusable than a junkie lying on the floor of his run-down apartment?

Lock him up, yes. Kill him? No. (which one of the two culprits am I referring to?) ....good question, I'm as miffed as you should be.

At least the Thai Police will make some money out of it no doubt. At least half of it will go missing and I am sure some poor soul will be stitched up somewhere along the line in some random search walking down the street

[beejoir]

I love the way their ''street'' prices are always 5 times higher than err street prices!

Thailand.

[RickBradford]

As the failure of Prohibition in the US showed, you cannot prevent humanity's instinct to alter its psychic state by chemical means (or <deleted> itself up, depending on your point of view).

Thus, the War Against Drugs can never be won, for simple reasons of human nature.

Legalization and taxation is the only policy that stands a chance of succeeding; centers already exist for those people who overdo it on various substances from lau khao to cocaine.

Smuggling might not stop, but it would certainly reduce, as would the presence (easily seen in Thailand) of serious undesirables who do nothing but sell drugs.

Politically, as the Netherlands have found, it is controversial, even courageous.

[housepainter]

I agree that the figures don't add up and my response to the headline was why only 2m? Are they honest or something? Did they hand half of it back?

Or was it that the Police made the 2m into their own pockets? That was their cut from a total drugs bust of ......?

So two small time mules get picked up with a load of gear and the streets are made safe. No thoughts of the higher food chain then. Mr. Big simply gets to carry on as always and now knows the names of a couple more police officers to add to the ' do not disturb' pay list, along with the areas PM, the influential family, a couple of army generals and the local red shirt leader.

Calls for executions .................... Oh, dear, I thought we'd won that debate long ago. Must be that time again when another decade of adolescents start staying home at night and tapping out their two cents worth on here. Such immature voices void of sentiment, understanding or experience of life, now call for death.

Well, I'm sorry but that's not the way it works out. You have to be able to weigh the evidence, the facts, and bring usually a considerable amount of life time's learning to bear on the judgement. Hence, Judges are not young persons. Trust me. It takes time to acquire wisdom but you can make a start through trusting me on this one rather than waiting another 30 years to post me how right I am.

So. There we have it. One drugs bust. No revolution. No quick fix any time now and no no no hang 'em high in the morning.

Dismissed.

[apollo13]

I agree that the figures don't add up and my response to the headline was why only 2m? Are they honest or something? Did they hand half of it back?

Or was it that the Police made the 2m into their own pockets? That was their cut from a total drugs bust of ......?

So two small time mules get picked up with a load of gear and the streets are made safe. No thoughts of the higher food chain then. Mr. Big simply gets to carry on as always and now knows the names of a couple more police officers to add to the ' do not disturb' pay list, along with the areas PM, the influential family, a couple of army generals and the local red shirt leader.

Calls for executions .................... Oh, dear, I thought we'd won that debate long ago. Must be that time again when another decade of adolescents start staying home at night and tapping out their two cents worth on here. Such immature voices void of sentiment, understanding or experience of life, now call for death.

Well, I'm sorry but that's not the way it works out. You have to be able to weigh the evidence, the facts, and bring usually a considerable amount of life time's learning to bear on the judgement. Hence, Judges are not young persons. Trust me. It takes time to acquire wisdom but you can make a start through trusting me on this one rather than waiting another 30 years to post me how right I am.

So. There we have it. One drugs bust. No revolution. No quick fix any time now and no no no hang 'em high in the morning.

Dismissed.

I wouldn't class anybody moving more than 20 kg of class 1 a 'small time mule' .

[DP25]

A Thai woman in Malaysia was sentenced to death last year for 1 kg of marijuana. Might not go so good for these Malaysian dudes with 20 kilos of crystal meth and a kilo of heroin

[mccw]

absolutely right.

I wonder if we'll see legalisation in our life time. The peace and prosperrity that would come from it would be immense. But I doubt it will ever happen. If it were legal then governments couldn't fund their off the books dirty business from it's trade! Just as with arms, it's only those opperrating with out license, as it were, who get punnished.

dollar estimates for drugs gained from busts are always waaaaay over the top.

It's another argument for legalizing the stuff. Whatever it's worth, if it's legalized, then it's more likely to get taxed. What's the tax revenue on 2 million bucks? Plus, if it's legal, then it can more likely be monitored, (including its levels of toxicity) and addictive personalities can get counseling and possibly less harmful drugs if they choose to get free from addiction. When alcohol was illegal (during US's prohibition), it begat bathtub gin and other hyper toxic substances.

There are always people who will abuse themselves. If they're criminalized and holed up underground, then they're much harder to deal with. The current drug laws (copied note for note from American laws, btw), do just that - they criminalize people and compel them to scurry away like cockroaches. Drug dealers get rich, and society rings its hands impotently.

[mccw]

^ although it's non legalisation could well just be down to a serious lack of pollitical balls; atleast in the uk at any rate

[newtronbom]

I don't agree they need the 'ultimate penalty'

Drugs can be debilitating and life-wrecking for sure, but let's put it all in fair-minded perspective.

For example: how debilitating is 20 Kg of crystal meth compared with 20 Kg of Johnny Walker Whiskey?

The answer would lie somewhere in who uses it and what actions ensue.

Is a drunk man smashing his car in to a pick-up truck full of students more excusable than a junkie lying on the floor of his run-down apartment?

Lock him up, yes. Kill him? No. (which one of the two culprits am I referring to?) ....good question, I'm as miffed as you should be.

I agree with your post. He/they may get shot for being caught trafficking it, but I am sure the "metaphoric" dude in the aptmt had no gun put to his head if he didn't use it!! Booze does more to ruin society than drugs, not only the in the death figures related to it, but abuse and violence of family that goes pretty much unreported. Won't even start on the health issue. Having said that though, "ice" to my knowledge, is one of the most "toxic" drugs out there for ones health, both in the short term and even more so in the long term, so I am glad they caught this lot before it hit the streets.....

[rikki]

I read that crystal meths is 6 times more addictive than heroin.

So 20k of it is going to get a lot of people hooked, they wont be able to see any further than their next hit.

Probably not what most parents want for their children.

I dont advocate the death penalty, but if it was a simple choice between the lives of those 2, or the lives wasted by their ICE,

I know which I'd choose.

[PhilHarries]

I agree with your post. He/they may get shot for being caught trafficking it, but I am sure the "metaphoric" dude in the aptmt had no gun put to his head if he didn't use it!! Booze does more to ruin society than drugs, not only the in the death figures related to it, but abuse and violence of family that goes pretty much unreported. Won't even start on the health issue. Having said that though, "ice" to my knowledge, is one of the most "toxic" drugs out there for ones health, both in the short term and even more so in the long term, so I am glad they caught this lot before it hit the streets.....

This is an oft trotted out arguement that has no real basis. If the numbers of drug users equalled the numbers of alcohol drinkers then you could do a comparison. Also legalisation would alter the playing field immensely. Now drugs are illegal they are used mainly away from prying eyes in private. If legalised they spread across society in open use/abuse just the same as alcohol and nobody really knows what the overall effect would be.

Having said that I do agree that some form of legalisation bringing with it control and taxation is the way forward. The current method has been run for more time than any experiment is worth and it is now time for the autorities to do a total rethink. But it would have to be a worldwide effort, it would make no sense two adjoining countries having different approaches as that would just increase the problem of smuggling.

However just look around you at the powerful governmental agencies that would, overnight, lose their reason to exist. That is why it will never happen, well not in any of our lifetimes anyway.

As for the death penalty? They're just two hapless mules, it would serve themselves and society more good if they were given a short sharp shock, like a year of hard labour, then released under surveillance for another couple of years.

[meom]

I love the way their ''street'' prices are always 5 times higher than err street prices!

Thailand.

Current street price for ice is about 3000 -3500 baht / gram so their figure is about right with 20 kg valued at 60 mil.

[apollo13]

Can one imagine the scenario if class 1 were legalised in Thailand ? With the stigma of its illegal status removed resulting in lower a street value and increased production, crystal methamphetamine hydrochloride would be accessible and deemed acceptable to a wider spectrum of Thai society , the consequences of which would be catastrophic .The act of taxing such substances by a government would be seen as a condonation and could hinder any efforts to eradicate substance abuse, the government possibly unwilling to lose tax revenue as can be argued in the case of tobacco sales. A sustained, pertinent drugs education campaign targeting all classes of Thai society would be a more positive step forward.

[PhilHarries]

^ the same arguements could be applied to the government making money via taxes from the legal drugs, nicotine and alcohol. It could be argued that the only reason they are kept legal is so the taxes get paid and the government gets it's money.

[zorro1]

why does booze always creep onto the Narcotics threads?

legalizing crack, heroin so you can buy it at the same establishment that sells alcohol doesn't really add up to me. substituting one for the other at social events would put a new spin

on crowd behavior at footy matches

eg herion crowd after a goal = Total silence

crack crowd after = crowd runs onto field and kills the ref and goal keeper.

[newtronbom]

I agree with your post. He/they may get shot for being caught trafficking it, but I am sure the "metaphoric" dude in the aptmt had no gun put to his head if he didn't use it!! Booze does more to ruin society than drugs, not only the in the death figures related to it, but abuse and violence of family that goes pretty much unreported. Won't even start on the health issue. Having said that though, "ice" to my knowledge, is one of the most "toxic" drugs out there for ones health, both in the short term and even more so in the long term, so I am glad they caught this lot before it hit the streets.....

This is an oft trotted out arguement that has no real basis. If the numbers of drug users equalled the numbers of alcohol drinkers then you could do a comparison. Also legalisation would alter the playing field immensely. Now drugs are illegal they are used mainly away from prying eyes in private. If legalised they spread across society in open use/abuse just the same as alcohol and nobody really knows what the overall effect would be.

Having said that I do agree that some form of legalisation bringing with it control and taxation is the way forward. The current method has been run for more time than any experiment is worth and it is now time for the autorities to do a total rethink. But it would have to be a worldwide effort, it would make no sense two adjoining countries having different approaches as that would just increase the problem of smuggling.

However just look around you at the powerful governmental agencies that would, overnight, lose their reason to exist. That is why it will never happen, well not in any of our lifetimes anyway.

As for the death penalty? They're just two hapless mules, it would serve themselves and society more good if they were given a short sharp shock, like a year of hard labor, then released under surveillance for another couple of years.

You make a good sensible reply PhilHarries, though I suggest to you, that the statistics on the number of drug users/addicts - and I venture to say too, that the statistics on the shear unseen multitude of social users who are present in all walks of normal society and daily life, from "field/factory workers, white/blue collared employees, right on through to State Office and federal employees" who are not addicts and are present in all walks of life, are"way understated" as most of them remain far below the legal radar and do not have or suffer from the associated medical/socioeconomic problems that are so well touted by those same 3 lettered agencies to justify their jobs and demands. I am confident that if the real statistics were known that the gap you are suggesting in numbers, between alcohol users and drug users, is not that far apart after all. Those "3 digit" agencies - not all from the USA it must be said, but certainly the majority - that receive massive amounts of federal funding and tax $$ from many people, a large amount of whom are often themselves, also drug users (and lets be honest, major $$ from the trade they, the agencies are supposed to be fighting against as well) with which to exist/survive/run their (not always the "States") mandate/business and have to justify their existence by regularly giving out warped and often outright false reports and statistics, to their overlords and bosses to show how successful they are in "the battle against drugs", which as any sane person, such as you or me, should see and realize, is a loosing and ill-found battle to begin with. You are quite correct in pointing out that these many State and also non government agencies too, pull an enormous amount of weight and influence - also I think, quite out of proportion to their original mandate - in keeping this ineffectual "way past it's use by date" ridiculous approach to the modern day drug problem. I think that the majority of people do realize, even if many don't say so publicly, that these agencies methods of combating the drug problem, not only isn't working/has never worked, but has also created/enabled/allowed/given the opportunity to many employees and bosses in these very same agencies, to corrupt the system to further their own benefit and profit. As you so rightly suggest, an extremely hard unforgettable year inside, followed by close watching with good counseling and help finding a normal job and a normal life, would not only save the Government, State and tax payer a bundle of money, but could prove to be far more effective, in getting some of these losers back into a normal life. But no. They serve a ridiculously long and unhealthy sentence in prison, during which they were taught nothing, learned nothing, except where they went wrong, how to do it better and discovered more contacts while there. They are completely out of touch with the world outside - in Thai prisons news on TV/radio is not allowed - and after such a long time inside, all has changed both socially and technologically. It is a shock for them when they get out. There are no programs to give them any preparation at all, before being set free. They are then tossed out on the street by the system with in most cases no money, no job, they are unemployable and have no support for an angry and often poor family. They have to fend themselves by once again doing the seemingly only thing open to them - anyway the only way of getting money quickly to fill their empty stomach, encouraged by the very same gangs that got them caught in the first place for sure, so back to drug dealing and trafficking. Way to go! That's my 10 cents worth anyway. thebom

[BusyBee123]

dollar estimates for drugs gained from busts are always waaaaay over the top.

It's another argument for legalizing the stuff. Whatever it's worth, if it's legalized, then it's more likely to get taxed. What's the tax revenue on 2 million bucks? Plus, if it's legal, then it can more likely be monitored, (including its levels of toxicity) and addictive personalities can get counseling and possibly less harmful drugs if they choose to get free from addiction. When alcohol was illegal (during US's prohibition), it begat bathtub gin and other hyper toxic substances.

There are always people who will abuse themselves. If they're criminalized and holed up underground, then they're much harder to deal with. The current drug laws (copied note for note from American laws, btw), do just that - they criminalize people and compel them to scurry away like cockroaches. Drug dealers get rich, and society rings its hands impotently.

If you want your own laws buy a country and impose them, until them grow up and live with the laws in which the country you live.

[brahmburgers]

dollar estimates for drugs gained from busts are always waaaaay over the top. It's another argument for legalizing the stuff. Whatever it's worth, if it's legalized, then it's more likely to get taxed. What's the tax revenue on 2 million bucks? Plus, if it's legal, then it can more likely be monitored, (including its levels of toxicity) and addictive personalities can get counseling and possibly less harmful drugs if they choose to get free from addiction. When alcohol was illegal (during US's prohibition), it begat bathtub gin and other hyper toxic substances.

There are always people who will abuse themselves. If they're criminalized and holed up underground, then they're much harder to deal with. The current drug laws (copied note for note from American laws, btw), do just that - they criminalize people and compel them to scurry away like cockroaches. Drug dealers get rich, and society rings its hands impotently.

If you want your own laws buy a country and impose them, until them grow up and live with the laws in which the country you live.

That's almost funny. I've resided in Thailand for nearly a fifth of my life. I won't ever be Thai, but I do care about the place and its people. This forum is for discussions. You can sit in your Solomon's chair and try to act all wise, but when you come across a Thai law you don't like, you probably squeal like a piglet stuck on a hot tin roof.

There is no blanket fix for drug problems. One place to start is to have the people who make and administer the laws - have an idea of how the specific drugs affect one's psyche and one's actions. Forming opinions from comic book hyper-dramatic and biased depictions, doesn't make the grade.

The worldwide alcohol drink industry - is hundreds of billions of dollars strong. The hemp industry is tiny in comparison. One causes untold harm and misery worldwide, the other is harmless. Yet alcohol is legal, the other can land you in jail. Alcohol is used to bribe officials and is used by the same officials who make the laws. Those officials either know nothing about hemp, or they just criminalize it because they're compelled to follow whatever Uncle Sam dictates. Perhaps all the Johnny Walker they've been bribed with has so sogged up their thinking, they don't know sheit from Shinola.

Crack is bad. But the 'war on drugs' is no solution. It exacerbates the problem. Just as SE Asia won't get a common currency for at least 100 years, it won't find feasible ways to deal with drug problems for at least that long. Mandating death is just mean - it's like putting a crap icing on an inedible cake.

Edited November 28, 2010 by brahmburgers