Crackdown On Drug Trafficking: Lie-Detector Tests May Deter Thai Prison Guards

[webfact]

Lie-detection tests may deter guards

THE NATION

BANGKOK: -- As part of an ongoing crackdown on drug trafficking within prisons, all prison guards will have to undergo periodic polygraph tests and urine tests, while DNA tests will be conducted on seized mobile phones in order to identify corrupt officials, the Public Sector Anti-Corruption Commission (PACC) said yesterday.

The polygraph or lie-detection test should discourage corrupt officials, PACC secretary-general Dusadee Arayawuth said.

"DNA tests to find latent fingerprints on handsets might also find important links between inmates and corrupt prison guards," he added.

Dusadee was speaking at a press conference held yesterday to provide details on an ongoing effort to control rampant drug dealing in prisons that will be run by PACC and three government agencies: Corrections Department, Department of Special Investigation and the Anti-Money Laundering Office.

Under the Justice Ministry's guidelines, the DSI and the Corrections Department have been tasked with gathering information and identifying suspected inmates and prison guards, the PACC would take legal action against officials implicated by evidence and the AMLO would seize their assets during prosecution and after conviction.

Corrections Department director-general Suchart Wonganantachai said he would not protect corrupt prison officials, and said that since he took office late last year, 18 guards had been discharged dishonourably.

In October, 700 mobile phones were seized in prisons, 700 in November, 500 units in December, 200 in January and another 100 units as of yesterday. "The statistics show that new units are being continuously smuggled into prisons," he added.

Ratchaburi's Khao Bin prison, which houses 221 high-profile drug dealers and another 3,000 inmates held on other charges, will get another 150 guards to help the 125 already stationed there, he said.

A search at Khao Bin prison yesterday turned up one mobile phone, four SIM cards and a charger, along with many other contraband items including spikes made from scrap metal. A mobile-phone signal |jammer has been installed at the prison.

Similar raids were conducted yesterday at provincial prisons in Tak, Chaiyaphum and Surin. Apart from finding some contraband items at the prisons in Tak and Chaiyaphum, officials found eight mobile handsets, five SIM cards and many chargers, including a home-made one, at the Surin facility.

Commander of Surin's Rattana Buri prison, Phaisal Suwannaraksa, said he believed the drug-dealing network between his facility and the Khao Bin prison had been broken thanks to the frequent raids and suppression. After three prison guards were dismissed last week, investigation into their links with a key racket leader - known as Phanuwat "Black Mouth" Sirichai - is underway.

Meanwhile, Deputy Prime Minister Chalerm Yoobamrung said Thai officials would be soon dispatched to Asean countries as well as China's Yunnan province. The proposal will soon be submitted to the Cabinet for approval. "Yunnan is a key production source of reactants to various types of illegal drugs," he said, adding that he was studying anti-narcotics operations adopted by Australian authorities.

"Australia is either free of drugs, or it can tackle the trade very successfully," he added.

-- The Nation 2012-02-09

[yougivemebaby]

"DNA tests to find latent fingerprints on handsets might also find important links between inmates and corrupt prison guards," he aded

I didn't know they could get DNA from fingerprints. However, I also didn't know they could take 1000 boats and ships down the river to divert water to avoid flooding..

Kudos to them though. Most people don't give a $#% in Thailand. There are some that want to actually do their job.

[coobah666]

"Australia is either free of drugs, or it can tackle the trade very successfully,"

Obviously this must be a missprint,because this is not the Australia that I am from.

they dont get it through the front gate,but hitting a tennis ball over the high fences at certain times is no accident

[yumidesign]

love the bit about DNA testing. this must be a world first

[masterbiker49]

Just gives another chance for tea money,positive to drugs or polygraph suspect,pay up to shut up.

[rmacdon61]

Can't help myself!!!

[mosquitobill]

It never amazes me the <deleted> these officials come out with.As a long serving ex UK prison officer the only prison staff I would trust here are prison drug dogs as they don't value money

[swillowbee]

... lie detectors are effective only on people to whom lying is considered wrong ... won't work in Thailand.

[sparebox2]

Why not use the GT-200 to hunt for drugs.

The Thai government bought thousand of them, all equipment with full options; it comes with cards that also detect drugs.

[sparebox2]

It never amazes me the <deleted> these officials come out with.As a long serving ex UK prison officer the only prison staff I would trust here are prison drug dogs as they don't value money

Dogs are not allowed in Thai prison.

To the muslim, they are an insult.

To the non-muslim, they are dietary supplement.

[unanimosity]

Just gives another chance for tea money,positive to drugs or polygraph suspect,pay up to shut up.

+1

[unanimosity]

Why not use the GT-200 to hunt for drugs.

The Thai government bought thousand of them, all equipment with full options; it comes with cards that also detect drugs.

[unanimosity]

... lie detectors are effective only on people to whom lying is considered wrong ... won't work in Thailand.

All that smiling is on the job training.

[Credo]

All those lie detectors will be like the CCTV cameras that are fake.

They also have to be administered by trained personnel.

[jbhh]

Man... this article sounded so promising, as if they finally got an idea what they are doing and then they end with

""Australia is either free of drugs, or it can tackle the trade very successfully," he added."

[jbhh]

Here is a radical, but not new idea, tested and proven to work in Portugal: Decriminalize, educate, rehabilitate, reintegrate.

I wonder how many people would still be dealing and taking meth for example, if they would be educated in school about what this drug does to you, and how easy and cheap it is to make it.

As long as they keep pushing this into the hidden corner of society, this problem will always exist in secrecy...

Imagine all the cool jobs that could be created to help prevent drug addictions and treat those that have become addicted. Portugal has proven that the money saved in the war on drugs exceeds the money spent on prevention and care.

[Skorz]

Do you really think a lie detector will serve any purpose other than to appease the press and as a tool for the advancement of those in the big chairs?

An entire nation that is driven ON EVERY LEVEL by an unshakable culture of lying, depict and, most importantly a refusal to admit to, or apologise for personal error. A lie detector in a jail might as well be made of cheese. It will never be used in the cause of good or for it's true purpose, it will be a tool for framing the innocent and scoring points within the system.

A few weeks ago I walked in on my thai father in law. He was looking at an old photo album full of pictures of beach scenes and pictures of a young woman and her two teenage kids . He was alone and sobbing. When he saw me he quickly closed the album (not before I had a chance to see some of the photos), got up and left the room. The photos were blatantly of his second wife and their children together who I know exist (my wife told me). My wife later asked me if she though her father was acting strangely. Then, and only then did I volunteer what I had witnessed a few hours before. She told her mum and the two of them then got really mad with me and called me a liar. For the remaining two weeks of our stay with them neither the father nor the mother talked to me. To this day my wife still refuses to talk about it. The mother knows I told the truth, yet refuses to accept it. Bitch.

QED, these people are fa*king fools, living in denial seems to suit them perfectly. I lie detector will only serve to annoy them with the facts.

[Chris Lawrence]

In OZ, drugs still get in.

I wonder if they will also look at the Needle Exchange Program for Thai goal's? Because the big problem is people going to goal, using and catching Hep C; I would think HIV in Thai Goals would be big problem in the IV using population?

[thequietman]

who wants to take odds that a commitee will be set up to discuss such an idea. then another government department will procure these machines from a family company for an excessive amount of money, only to find years later, when they opened the machines up, there was nothing inside, much like a thai prison guards head.

how the hell could the machine know anyway. this guys have been lying about everything else for so long, they actually believe themselves.

[belg]

oh no, now they are warned to ware gloves when handing over the mobile phones and drugs

[sparebox2]

All those lie detectors will be like the CCTV cameras that are fake.

They also have to be administered by trained personnel.

Just like GT200. They also have to be administered by trained personnel.

[Commentor]

They should also display transparency and update of those corrupted official caught. How will the corrupted be dealt with? Just discharge them and no charges file agaisnt these corrupted officials?

No wonder it an encouragement to these offcial to adopt corrupted practice themseleve. These people should be send to prison and be part of the prisoners since they like to associate business with drug dealers inmate so much.

[MarkCyr]

I smell an awesome CSI-style reality show in the works for Thai TV.

[Credo]

CSI as in Corruption Scene Investigation?

I can't see them buying lie detectors and actually maintaining them. I can't see them training people to use them properly.

[12DrinkMore]

Do you really think a lie detector will serve any purpose other than to appease the press and as a tool for the advancement of those in the big chairs?

An entire nation that is driven ON EVERY LEVEL by an unshakable culture of lying, depict and, most importantly a refusal to admit to, or apologise for personal error. A lie detector in a jail might as well be made of cheese. It will never be used in the cause of good or for it's true purpose, it will be a tool for framing the innocent and scoring points within the system.

A few weeks ago I walked in on my thai father in law. He was looking at an old photo album full of pictures of beach scenes and pictures of a young woman and her two teenage kids . He was alone and sobbing. When he saw me he quickly closed the album (not before I had a chance to see some of the photos), got up and left the room. The photos were blatantly of his second wife and their children together who I know exist (my wife told me). My wife later asked me if she though her father was acting strangely. Then, and only then did I volunteer what I had witnessed a few hours before. She told her mum and the two of them then got really mad with me and called me a liar. For the remaining two weeks of our stay with them neither the father nor the mother talked to me. To this day my wife still refuses to talk about it. The mother knows I told the truth, yet refuses to accept it. Bitch.

QED, these people are fa*king fools, living in denial seems to suit them perfectly. I lie detector will only serve to annoy them with the facts.

When dealing with the Thais I have turned into one.

After a lot of tedious experiences I now only ever ask three questions

- Have you eaten?

- Are you "Sabai"?

- Are you drunk yet?

Any other question results in an answer I don really care to hear and is probably not the truth anyway.

Keep it superficial and mind your own business; its the way to a pleasant life!

[housepainter]

Stick with the urine tests.

Polygraphs [ lie detector tests ] don't work hence America incarcerates more of its citizens than any other country on the planet.

Finger prints? Are the Thais starting to do finger printing? Whatever next? Photographing criminals may be or even catching them, solving crimes and making Gotham safe.

I can sleep easy in some girl's bed knowing I'm old enough to be her father and that no one cares!

Thailand! Inequality, paternity, kidology!

Next.

[lee68]

Do you really think a lie detector will serve any purpose other than to appease the press and as a tool for the advancement of those in the big chairs?

An entire nation that is driven ON EVERY LEVEL by an unshakable culture of lying, depict and, most importantly a refusal to admit to, or apologise for personal error. A lie detector in a jail might as well be made of cheese. It will never be used in the cause of good or for it's true purpose, it will be a tool for framing the innocent and scoring points within the system.

A few weeks ago I walked in on my thai father in law. He was looking at an old photo album full of pictures of beach scenes and pictures of a young woman and her two teenage kids . He was alone and sobbing. When he saw me he quickly closed the album (not before I had a chance to see some of the photos), got up and left the room. The photos were blatantly of his second wife and their children together who I know exist (my wife told me). My wife later asked me if she though her father was acting strangely. Then, and only then did I volunteer what I had witnessed a few hours before. She told her mum and the two of them then got really mad with me and called me a liar. For the remaining two weeks of our stay with them neither the father nor the mother talked to me. To this day my wife still refuses to talk about it. The mother knows I told the truth, yet refuses to accept it. Bitch.

QED, these people are fa*king fools, living in denial seems to suit them perfectly. I lie detector will only serve to annoy them with the facts.

When dealing with the Thais I have turned into one.

After a lot of tedious experiences I now only ever ask three questions

- Have you eaten?

- Are you "Sabai"?

- Are you drunk yet?

Any other question results in an answer I don really care to hear and is probably not the truth anyway.

Keep it superficial and mind your own business; its the way to a pleasant life!

To true mate,ive lived here 18 years and thats about the only question i ever ask Thais,and the same you never will get a straight answer ,i dont think ive ever had one in 18 years,lol

[alanferdi]

OH MY GOD - LIE DETECTOR IN THAILAND

Check it it works on the police force! If not send it back to China its tampered or the US if sold over their branding outlet. This really tickles an average mans intellect

[alanferdi]

OH MY GOD - LIE DETECTOR IN THAILAND

Check it it works on the police force! If not send it back to China its tampered or the US if sold over their branding outlet. This really tickles an average mans intellect

[alanferdi]

Arent these lie detectors only effective on people who are supressing the truth with a lie or does it work on people who were on drugs who havent a clue what they were doing and when in their senses.... they only can say what they know without trying to lie? How do these work? what about habitual lying? Does it pick up the different tones in Thai that can mean several things I am intrigued. Will work well on Farangs. They made it for their society!

Edited February 10, 2012 by alanferdi