Bangkok Police Seize 'historic' Drugs Cache Worth 1.5 Billion Baht

[berg1666]

What is interesting to me is the way certain drugs appeal to certain nations and not so much to others. For example in Asia methamphetamine is very popular, but in England for example people don't seem to really like the stuff, xtc, cocaine, heroin and ketamine are popular but not the dreaded methamphetamine. I can understand the attraction to methamphetamine in some Asian countries, like Japan for example where the pace of life is much faster, and it would make sense that a speedy type stimulant may be seen to help with the hectic pace, but Thailand with its less frantic pace would seem to fit something more like Opium or even Heroin by nature.

Any insight anyone?????

Meth keeps narcolepsy at bay.

Might have a point, but then why do the Japs love it?

The Japanese used to be massive opium producers; an area called Atsumi Hanto where I used to live was one of the major growing areas. Even today they have police go through the area in the spring eradicating wild opium poppies. Even the Japanese army cultivated opium to sell to the Chinese to finance the war against the Chinese! But the Japanese saw opium as a tool of colonization, so strictly regulated its use within Japan (so you could grow it for export, but not for sale or consumption within Japan).

Amphetamines became popular in Japan during the war, when it was handed out to the soldiers and workers like lollies to get them to go harder. Many servicemen returned from the war addicted to amphetamines, to find their wives back at home similarly addicted. Then with the economic boom of the Korean war, and through on to modern day, amphetamines became the go to drug of choice to keep you working harder and longer.

Today Japan is the highest consumer of meth by volume in all of Asia, with over 1 million regular users (at last survey in 1997). It is a huge problem there.

[hyperdimension]

There must be a very unhappy bunny somewhere out there after losing that lot. ....................

That bunny could have another 10 or more apartments around the city being used as warehouses, and if that's the case then selling some of the huge amount that he has left in other places could cover the losses.

[stoli]

Bet the maid was on a high cleaning there room !!

Yes, but on the other hand, she cleaned all 50 rooms in the building in one hour!

[transam]

This is a quality drug related bust .

$205,000,000..........................

[JeremyBowskill]

What is interesting to me is the way certain drugs appeal to certain nations and not so much to others. For example in Asia methamphetamine is very popular, but in England for example people don't seem to really like the stuff, xtc, cocaine, heroin and ketamine are popular but not the dreaded methamphetamine. I can understand the attraction to methamphetamine in some Asian countries, like Japan for example where the pace of life is much faster, and it would make sense that a speedy type stimulant may be seen to help with the hectic pace, but Thailand with its less frantic pace would seem to fit something more like Opium or even Heroin by nature.

Any insight anyone?????

Meth keeps narcolepsy at bay.

Might have a point, but then why do the Japs love it?

The Japanese used to be massive opium producers; an area called Atsumi Hanto where I used to live was one of the major growing areas. Even today they have police go through the area in the spring eradicating wild opium poppies. Even the Japanese army cultivated opium to sell to the Chinese to finance the war against the Chinese! But the Japanese saw opium as a tool of colonization, so strictly regulated its use within Japan (so you could grow it for export, but not for sale or consumption within Japan).

Amphetamines became popular in Japan during the war, when it was handed out to the soldiers and workers like lollies to get them to go harder. Many servicemen returned from the war addicted to amphetamines, to find their wives back at home similarly addicted. Then with the economic boom of the Korean war, and through on to modern day, amphetamines became the go to drug of choice to keep you working harder and longer.

Today Japan is the highest consumer of meth by volume in all of Asia, with over 1 million regular users (at last survey in 1997). It is a huge problem there.

Yes I am familiar with much of the history, as I too lived in Japan for 7 years. I am also familiar with their liking for Meth, what I was trying to get at really was why certain countries like it and others don't. Its relatively easy to see why the Japanese have taken to it, as you have pointed out it fits their hard working ethic to a degree, but it seems less obvious as to why the Thais seem so keen on it. This is not thinly veiled Thai bashing, I'm not saying they are lazy so why would they like Meth so much, I just tend to think to a fairly large degree, the type of drugs that are popular within a country usually reflect inhabitants. For example I find it no surprise that most of the recreational drugs used in the UK can be easily used in a pub or club type setting as British people love pubs as a rule. It also is of little surprise that heroin is so popular in the UK as many British have a very dark side to their nature, no more apparent than when you watch British comedy or even soaps on T.V.

Thinking about it maybe the clue is in the name Yabba.

Edited May 22, 2013 by JeremyBowskill

[TomTom55]

Methamphetamine is not a narcotic drug. Stop using the word "narcotics" to refer to drugs in general, whether illegal or legal, as it makes you look stupid and/or ignorant. Narcotics are sleep-inducing and/or pain relieving drugs. The word comes from ancient greek for "benumb". There are many legal narcotics around, such as Hydrocodone and Oxycodone.

Call drugs "drugs", or illegal drugs "illegal drugs", or by their specific identifiable name, e.g. "methamphetamine".

This too pisses me right off, the US police and drug agencies stared it off by referring to all drugs as narcotics, when in fact it was established as the heroin busters but then spread to now even weed being a 'narcotic'. it is just ignorance and I assume it has gone too far to change now, people will continue to refer to drugs as narcotics and drug enforcers as narcs.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

1. In all likelihood, the trio of "kids" arrested with this haul are the lowest of the low in the illegal drug food chain.

2. Wonder what happens with all these drugs once they're put into police custody??? It would be somewhat wishful thinking to believe all the illegal stuff will be destroyed.

[technologybytes]

I'm sure the figure of 1.5 Billion was just made up.. it's possibly exaggerated by a factor of x200 or more. And of course they take the highest possible street price and apply it to wholesale, which is wrong anyway.

In any event, the problem with drug offenses is that they are not natural crimes, meaning it's not morally wrong it's just against the law.. a law that for 99% of human history didn't exist, anywhere.

It's wrong to treat drug crime in that way and send people to prison. The only justification for doing so is that the people concerned knew the risks and got involved anyway.

In the UK there is a law of "being knowingly concerned", that allows people to get 25 years just for "knowingly" lending a car to someone who was using it to transport cocaine (real example). How absurd is that?

[berg1666]

Meth keeps narcolepsy at bay.

What is interesting to me is the way certain drugs appeal to certain nations and not so much to others. For example in Asia methamphetamine is very popular, but in England for example people don't seem to really like the stuff, xtc, cocaine, heroin and ketamine are popular but not the dreaded methamphetamine. I can understand the attraction to methamphetamine in some Asian countries, like Japan for example where the pace of life is much faster, and it would make sense that a speedy type stimulant may be seen to help with the hectic pace, but Thailand with its less frantic pace would seem to fit something more like Opium or even Heroin by nature.

Any insight anyone?????

The Japanese used to be massive opium producers; an area called Atsumi Hanto where I used to live was one of the major growing areas. Even today they have police go through the area in the spring eradicating wild opium poppies. Even the Japanese army cultivated opium to sell to the Chinese to finance the war against the Chinese! But the Japanese saw opium as a tool of colonization, so strictly regulated its use within Japan (so you could grow it for export, but not for sale or consumption within Japan).

Amphetamines became popular in Japan during the war, when it was handed out to the soldiers and workers like lollies to get them to go harder. Many servicemen returned from the war addicted to amphetamines, to find their wives back at home similarly addicted. Then with the economic boom of the Korean war, and through on to modern day, amphetamines became the go to drug of choice to keep you working harder and longer.

Today Japan is the highest consumer of meth by volume in all of Asia, with over 1 million regular users (at last survey in 1997). It is a huge problem there.

Yes I am familiar with much of the history, as I too lived in Japan for 7 years. I am also familiar with their liking for Meth, what I was trying to get at really was why certain countries like it and others don't. Its relatively easy to see why the Japanese have taken to it, as you have pointed out it fits their hard working ethic to a degree, but it seems less obvious as to why the Thais seem so keen on it. This is not thinly veiled Thai bashing, I'm not saying they are lazy so why would they like Meth so much, I just tend to think to a fairly large degree, the type of drugs that are popular within a country usually reflect inhabitants. For example I find it no surprise that most of the recreational drugs used in the UK can be easily used in a pub or club type setting as British people love pubs as a rule. It also is of little surprise that heroin is so popular in the UK as many British have a very dark side to their nature, no more apparent than when you watch British comedy or even soaps on T.V.

Thinking about it maybe the clue is in the name Yabba.

For Japan I think it is a combination of history and physical space. The Japanese were never exposed to opiates as a recreational type drug, as it was strictly regulated. But they were encouraged to use meth. At the same time the yakuza had an informal agreement with the state in Japan; the state turns a semi-blind eye to meth while the Yakuza promise to not promote opiates like heroin.

And you can run a meth lab out of the boot of your car if you have to; hard to grow sufficient poppies for a decent crop without a few spare acres, which would be hard to do in Japan.

But we have a chronic meth problem in NZ, we have lots of space, but no real heroin problem (although more cannabis than you can shake a stick at). So I just refuted my own argument.

I guess people will just take whatever is available at the right price.

[JeremyBowskill]

1. In all likelihood, the trio of "kids" arrested with this haul are the lowest of the low in the illegal drug food chain.

2. Wonder what happens with all these drugs once they're put into police custody??? It would be somewhat wishful thinking to believe all the illegal stuff will be destroyed.

Certainly not the lowest of the low, but not young pablo escobar's either. The lowest of the low would be the end user scratching around and whoring themselves out for a couple of pills. Next would be a street level dealer, maybe buying 10-20 at a time to pay for their own habbit, then some guy knocking out 100s or thousands at a time, then another middle management level knocking out 10s of thousands and then these guys. Above them their boss and above that in all probability within 1 or 2 steps the manufacturer at a guess. So these fellas were probably not the bottom of the chain and certainly not the top.

[bigwilly]

Can we expect to see this haul destroyed in front of the media? or will it be shuffled out of the back door and distributed by another Colonel?

BW

[Phronesis]

I want to know who counted the 4.5 million pills?

[Frank James]

Whatever happened to all the excellent weed that came out of here back in the 70's? I can't understand why these super-destructive stimulants are so widely used here. I think it shows up in the nasty politics and endless squabbling so prevalent now.

Turn off your mind, relax and float downstream...

[davidmann]

will they ever get the gang leaders ,or only the small fry

[Secondmouse]

Methamphetamine is not a narcotic drug. Stop using the word "narcotics" to refer to drugs in general, whether illegal or legal, as it makes you look stupid and/or ignorant. Narcotics are sleep-inducing and/or pain relieving drugs. The word comes from ancient greek for "benumb". There are many legal narcotics around, such as Hydrocodone and Oxycodone.

Call drugs "drugs", or illegal drugs "illegal drugs", or by their specific identifiable name, e.g. "methamphetamine".

Chill....!the office

Methamphetamine is not a narcotic drug. Stop using the word "narcotics" to refer to drugs in general, whether illegal or legal, as it makes you look stupid and/or ignorant. Narcotics are sleep-inducing and/or pain relieving drugs. The word comes from ancient greek for "benumb". There are many legal narcotics around, such as Hydrocodone and Oxycodone.

Call drugs "drugs", or illegal drugs "illegal drugs", or by their specific identifiable name, e.g. "methamphetamine".

Chill...! Don't get so upset....the office is called.."Office (for the) Control (of) Banned Narcotics"..OCBN...that's what they're called so to get into a little rant will only raise your blood pressure and you'll end up being on prescription controlled 'narcotics'...

[Joe Mamma]

No matter how you card it, it is poison pure and simple. Working for years back home to clean up the streets of this menace was a daunting task. And alcohol and it's abuse caused the police force more time and energy than the hard drugs. We officers, saw more personal carnage that all the poisons cause on a human level. One reason I packed up the wife and kids and moved here, where it is still not epidemic and mainstream of a society gone wild. Any hard chemicals that are removed are saving lives and misery. Good job.

[michaelbd]

This must be Heisenberg.....

[vladbran]

Think about it, do people really think some young punks could negotiate and finance a hoard of drugs that big?

You don't think that someone higher up in a gang than these punks who hasn't been caught or even suspected of existing may have been the real financier/mastermind?

That's what I was thinking ...

[KuhnPaen]

Methamphetamine is not a narcotic drug. Stop using the word "narcotics" to refer to drugs in general, whether illegal or legal, as it makes you look stupid and/or ignorant. Narcotics are sleep-inducing and/or pain relieving drugs. The word comes from ancient greek for "benumb". There are many legal narcotics around, such as Hydrocodone and Oxycodone.

Call drugs "drugs", or illegal drugs "illegal drugs", or by their specific identifiable name, e.g. "methamphetamine".

Ummmm......semantics? Nice rant though. Almost like it was written while under the influence of, dare I say it? Nevermind.

[Joe Mamma]

Whatever happened to all the excellent weed that came out of here back in the 70's? I can't understand why these super-destructive stimulants are so widely used here. I think it shows up in the nasty politics and endless squabbling so prevalent now.

Turn off your mind, relax and float downstream...

The alcohol, tobacco and prescription companies have locked in a sweet deal for their monopoly of supply and demand.

Retiring from law enforcement, I never had a good feeling busting the potheads. I was more excited to get the hard core abusers and that included plenty of prescribed drug users and the ones who profited from them, the dealers. If my kids ever try any of that crap, oh they will be sorry. That includes alcohol and smoking.

[hyperdimension]

Methamphetamine is not a narcotic drug. Stop using the word "narcotics" to refer to drugs in general, whether illegal or legal, as it makes you look stupid and/or ignorant. Narcotics are sleep-inducing and/or pain relieving drugs. The word comes from ancient greek for "benumb". There are many legal narcotics around, such as Hydrocodone and Oxycodone.

Call drugs "drugs", or illegal drugs "illegal drugs", or by their specific identifiable name, e.g. "methamphetamine".

that is some major hair splitting .. I agree I dont know why our american cousins like the word 'narcotic' so much, even to have a narc squad.... they are responsible for spreading the language everywhere else. I think however the terminology of 'sleep inducing' could be applied or infered to 'mind altering'

Either way it didnt really make anyone look stupid other than yourself for knit picking so much Boy this is a crazy place, not enough to do...

I don't see it as major hair splitting and I don't think it makes me look stupid for pointing it out. It's extremely incorrect terminology, maybe a bit like referring to the referree in soccer as an umpire or calling the short stop position in baseball the third base.

People who have technical knowledge of drugs and their effects (such as doctors, nurses, pharmacists) would disagree with using the word "narcotics" to refer to illegal drugs, and they would not consider it hair splitting if they were to express their disagreement or correct others. If you go to a pharmacy and ask the pharmacist for narcotics, he or she would be more likely to tell you a list of names of narcotic drugs that are sold in the shop, than respond with "sorry, we don't sell illegal drugs here".

What would happen when any of the illegal drugs that are incorrectly called "narcotics" become legal? Would they still be called "narcotics"? Pharmamcists or medical professionals would still call heroin a "narcotic" whether it's legal or not, and I would side with their professional qualified definition of "narcotic" than the authorities' incorrect definition.

Edited May 22, 2013 by hyperdimension

[rubl]

Of course this drug bust is nice, but these catches tend to be the top of an 'ice'berg only. Does that mean the drug problem is only increasing here in Thailand? No possitive effect of Dept. PM Pol. Captain Chalerm's campaigns? North-East of Thailand still drugs free after k. Chalerm said so months ago?

Prices of all this stuff going down or up?

[Naam]

yeah right....." theyre not our drugs.....we are just innocent people hired by gangsters to watch over 1.5 billion baht cash worth of meth and ice"

i never realised major drug dealers were so trusting in people.

use some logic man! from where would two very young men and a teenager get the capital for that kind of trade?

[hyperdimension]

What is interesting to me is the way certain drugs appeal to certain nations and not so much to others. For example in Asia methamphetamine is very popular, but in England for example people don't seem to really like the stuff, xtc, cocaine, heroin and ketamine are popular but not the dreaded methamphetamine. I can understand the attraction to methamphetamine in some Asian countries, like Japan for example where the pace of life is much faster, and it would make sense that a speedy type stimulant may be seen to help with the hectic pace, but Thailand with its less frantic pace would seem to fit something more like Opium or even Heroin by nature.

Any insight anyone?????

I too have wondered why certain drugs are so prevulant in some areas. If comparing accessable cheap drugs excluding the most sought after social drug Cocain, the most popular street drug in the UK is exctacy. Its cheap to produce and with very little negative aspect. its is fairly harmless and doesnt have any anti social behaviour have problems from users ( they wont kill you and you wont kill someone else). So why is this evil meth stuff so prevulant and cheap in comparison here . Would it not be an effective solution to flood the market with a alternitive cheap drug like exctacy to induce users away from harmful drugs? and destroy the hold by big organized crime on the meth market.

At the end of the day kids or young adults, which I assume is the largest part of the market ...... just want an illegal substance that makes them loose their inhabitions ..so they can party hard and <deleted> like rabbits. if there was a safer friendlier alternetive to Ya ba and Ya ice it would take very quickely. if I was a parent or a priminister I know which of the 2, I'd be more worried about the people under my care taking.

Just my 2 pennies on how to make the world a better place. and it coud be a new profitable side line for the goverment, fresh pastures and all that...

Methamphetamine is one of the easiest recreational drugs to produce (other than cannabis which is just a plant that grows naturally), whereas MDMA is much more difficult.

MDMA is nowhere near as addictive as methamphetamine, so the user does not have as much urge to consume it so frequently. MDMA usage is self-limiting because the feeling of euphoria is dependent on serotonin levels in the brain which is used up as part of the MDMA experience, but takes many weeks to be 100% replenished. So when MDMA is taken whilst serotonin levels are low or depleted, then there will be little or no euphoria (there would only be some amphetamine-like stimulant effects). So it simply won't work if it's taken too frequently. These may be some of the reasons for the difference in demand between methamphetamine and MDMA.

I agree that MDMA is a much safer and more enjoyable alternative to methamphetamine (and alcohol), and I've stated this already in other threads. It would be good if the pharmaceutical companies lobbied for its legalization, as they certainly would know how to manufacture it, just as they do with other drugs like sildenafil ("Viagra", "Sidegra" et al). The alcohol companies would probably be against it as they would lose their monopoly over the legal recreational drug market.

Edited May 22, 2013 by hyperdimension

[zaZa9]

What is interesting to me is the way certain drugs appeal to certain nations and not so much to others. For example in Asia methamphetamine is very popular, but in England for example people don't seem to really like the stuff, xtc, cocaine, heroin and ketamine are popular but not the dreaded methamphetamine. I can understand the attraction to methamphetamine in some Asian countries, like Japan for example where the pace of life is much faster, and it would make sense that a speedy type stimulant may be seen to help with the hectic pace, but Thailand with its less frantic pace would seem to fit something more like Opium or even Heroin by nature.

Any insight anyone?????

If the following clip is to be believed , many common folk in Thailand , like truck drivers , painters , builders etc use it to keep awake.

See from 1:03 ...

[jaffacakes1]

What is interesting to me is the way certain drugs appeal to certain nations and not so much to others. For example in Asia methamphetamine is very popular, but in England for example people don't seem to really like the stuff, xtc, cocaine, heroin and ketamine are popular but not the dreaded methamphetamine. I can understand the attraction to methamphetamine in some Asian countries, like Japan for example where the pace of life is much faster, and it would make sense that a speedy type stimulant may be seen to help with the hectic pace, but Thailand with its less frantic pace would seem to fit something more like Opium or even Heroin by nature.

Any insight anyone?????

Meth keeps narcolepsy at bay.

Might have a point, but then why do the Japs love it?

The Japanese used to be massive opium producers; an area called Atsumi Hanto where I used to live was one of the major growing areas. Even today they have police go through the area in the spring eradicating wild opium poppies. Even the Japanese army cultivated opium to sell to the Chinese to finance the war against the Chinese! But the Japanese saw opium as a tool of colonization, so strictly regulated its use within Japan (so you could grow it for export, but not for sale or consumption within Japan).

Amphetamines became popular in Japan during the war, when it was handed out to the soldiers and workers like lollies to get them to go harder. Many servicemen returned from the war addicted to amphetamines, to find their wives back at home similarly addicted. Then with the economic boom of the Korean war, and through on to modern day, amphetamines became the go to drug of choice to keep you working harder and longer.

Today Japan is the highest consumer of meth by volume in all of Asia, with over 1 million regular users (at last survey in 1997). It is a huge problem there.

Yes I am familiar with much of the history, as I too lived in Japan for 7 years. I am also familiar with their liking for Meth, what I was trying to get at really was why certain countries like it and others don't. Its relatively easy to see why the Japanese have taken to it, as you have pointed out it fits their hard working ethic to a degree, but it seems less obvious as to why the Thais seem so keen on it. This is not thinly veiled Thai bashing, I'm not saying they are lazy so why would they like Meth so much, I just tend to think to a fairly large degree, the type of drugs that are popular within a country usually reflect inhabitants. For example I find it no surprise that most of the recreational drugs used in the UK can be easily used in a pub or club type setting as British people love pubs as a rule. It also is of little surprise that heroin is so popular in the UK as many British have a very dark side to their nature, no more apparent than when you watch British comedy or even soaps on T.V.

Thinking about it maybe the clue is in the name Yabba.

The popularity of certain drugs in certain countries must also be determined by accessibility. The reason Cocaine is so prohibitively expensive in Australia is due to a particularly lengthy and dangerous shipping route from the production centres. Hence meth instead is the bigger problem there as it is entirely synthetic and can be shipped from Burma. Yaba and Ya-Ice are apparently relatively inexpensive and a small amount can keep a user high for several days so a better 'bang for your buck' if that is your thing.

Perhaps if there was a prominent dance scene in Asia the narco-landscape would look entirely differently but I guess people in general just like to get high and will take whatever is accessible and within their budget.

[Acharn]

^^ Of course.. but that still doesn't mean they're innocent.

With the biggest haul in history they're sure to get the death penalty.

The teenager (probably 19, so quite missleading really) will just get 70 or 80 years or so.

The way it works here.. you buy the drugs from the army, the police get you.. you buy from the police and the army get you.. lose lose LOSE!!

Well, unfortunately a lot of people don't get caught, so the trade keeps on. I don't know what the current street value is, but I'm sure 1.5 billion is hype. Way back when my son was addicted you could get meth tablets for thirty-five baht in Klong Toey. That seems about right. Drug addicts aren't paying two or three hundred baht a pill, not when the minimum wage is two hundred baht a day. I seem to recall the last "historic" drug bust this size a police officer was involved. Sounds like they did a better job of covering their tracks this time. I'm pretty sure the police know who it is, but don't have evidence that would stand up in court.

[hellodolly]

In modern use, the term "narcotics" has been adopted to a sense of "any illegal drugs" since 1926. Perhaps best not to misquote etymology sites and leave out the last paragraph to suit your agenda, whatever that is.

It's the authorities who have misused the term "narcotics", and this misuse alone is just one piece of evidence that supports the notion that they have little clue about drugs and their effects, whoch is a concern because they make the laws surrounding drugs. Those who work in medicine or pharmacology would never use the term "narcotics" to refer to drugs in general, only those with sleep-inducing properties, both legal and illegal.

Here is an excerpt from the page What is a "narcotic" drug?:

>What is a "narcotic" drug?

The first thing you should understand about the word "narcotic" is that it is used incorrectly more than it is used correctly. One good, quick way to tell whether someone actually knows anything about this subject is to listen to their use of this word. If they tell you that marijuana, cocaine, and meth are "narcotics" then count them among the vast legions of totally clueless people on this subject.

The word "narcotic" comes from the Greek word "narkos", meaning sleep. Therefore, "narcotics" are drugs that induce sleep. Specifically, that means the opiates such as heroin, morphine and related drugs. This is the correct meaning, so you should accept no other.

Cocaine and meth are not "narcotics". They are "stimulants", the exact opposite of a "narcotic". They cause people to be more awake and more active, not sleepy. Calling them :"narcotics" makes as much sense as calling coffee a "narcotic".

The classification of other drugs such as marijuana, alcohol, and others is open to question. (That is a subject for another page.) Some might call them "tranquilizers", "depressants", or even "hallucinogens". Marijuana and alcohol may even have a tendency to induce sleep at times. However, calling them "narcotics" simply shows a lack of understanding of the different effects.

The problem is that US Government officials, and others who enforce and support drug prohibition, tend to refer to all illegal drugs as "narcotics". They do that for three major reasons.

Good grief wake up they are illegal end of discussion.

this statement has too be as far from reality as can be in the world of law enforcement.

"It's the authorities who have misused the term "narcotics", and this

misuse alone is just one piece of evidence that supports the notion that

they have little clue about drugs and their effects, whoch is a concern

because they make the laws surrounding drugs. Those who work in

medicine or pharmacology would never use the term "narcotics" to refer

to drugs in general, only those with sleep-inducing properties, both

legal and illegal."

According to you a cop does not have a clue about drugs and there effect because he calls them Narcotics which in the world is commonly accepted as a word for drugs especially illegal ones.

Are you suggesting that a Police officer should attend a pharmaceutical collage to be able to arrest a drug dealer trying to sell 2 kilograms of heron to a 13 year old.

Just guessing here but are you an academic?

You obviously have no idea of life in the real world.

[simple1]

^^ Of course.. but that still doesn't mean they're innocent.

With the biggest haul in history they're sure to get the death penalty.

The teenager (probably 19, so quite missleading really) will just get 70 or 80 years or so.

The way it works here.. you buy the drugs from the army, the police get you.. you buy from the police and the army get you.. lose lose LOSE!!

Well, unfortunately a lot of people don't get caught, so the trade keeps on. I don't know what the current street value is, but I'm sure 1.5 billion is hype. Way back when my son was addicted you could get meth tablets for thirty-five baht in Klong Toey. That seems about right. Drug addicts aren't paying two or three hundred baht a pill, not when the minimum wage is two hundred baht a day. I seem to recall the last "historic" drug bust this size a police officer was involved. Sounds like they did a better job of covering their tracks this time. I'm pretty sure the police know who it is, but don't have evidence that would stand up in court.

I know about pricing as regretably one of my Thai family was a regular user until he was busted a few months ago. Current street price for Thais for YaBa, at least in Pattaya, is between 250/300 baht a tablet and it's everywhere. In just one roadblock operation 80 Thais tested positive

[hyperdimension]

Good grief wake up they are illegal end of discussion.

Just because something is illegal it doesn't mean it is the end of the discussion.

this statement has too be as far from reality as can be in the world of law enforcement.

"It's the authorities who have misused the term "narcotics", and this misuse alone is just one piece of evidence that supports the notion that they have little clue about drugs and their effects, whoch is a concern because they make the laws surrounding drugs. Those who work in medicine or pharmacology would never use the term "narcotics" to refer to drugs in general, only those with sleep-inducing properties, both legal and illegal."

Those who are from "the world of law enforcement" were the ones who took the word from the pharmacological world and used it incorrectly. So now everyone, including medical professionals, should accept law enforcement's incorrect definition?

According to you a cop does not have a clue about drugs and there effect because he calls them Narcotics which in the world is commonly accepted as a word for drugs especially illegal ones.

A police officer just has to enforce the law, so I would not expect him to know much about drugs and their effects. The problem is with lawmakers - I'd wish that those who make laws about drugs actually knew a great deal about drugs or sought expert advice, but the reality shows otherwise. Calling all illegal drugs "narcotics" shows plain lack of knowledge of drugs. It's just one of probably many more examples of ignorance in the drug laws. Another major example of ignorance is that the schedules of the Controlled Substance Act have very little correlation with harm. e.g. cannabis was on Schedule 1, as are mescaline, peyote, and DMT which are psychedelic drugs that are consumed by the indigineous people of Mexico and South America for religious and spiritual practices. Much of the drug laws were not created using input from the medical professions, but by politicians themselves with little or no scientific basis.

Edited May 22, 2013 by hyperdimension