Crackdown on prison drug trade
The Nation



Anti-narcotics agents, police team targeting three gangs run by highprofile inmates

BANGKOK: -- AS PART of a new campaign to tackle drug trade by inmates, several teams of anti-narcotics agents and police raided several locations in Bangkok and other parts of the country, arresting suspects and seizing assets worth Bt61 million in total.

The joint operations, titled "Expansion of Drug Trade Networks: First Round", involved several military and civilian anti-narcotics agencies as well as local and narcotics police together with US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)'s Far-East operations.

The raids targeted 10 dealers from three networks based in 19 locations in six provinces - the aim was to tackle the three networks run by three high-profile inmates. Four suspects, who are related either by blood or marriage to these three inmates, have been arrested.

Operations under the First Round campaign will run until Saturday and they are aimed at tackling eight drug-trafficking networks operated from inside prisons. The team hopes to nab 42 dealers in 44 locations in 17 provinces, Office of Narcotics Control Board (ONCB) secretary-general Permpong Chaovalit told the press.

To effectively combat drug trafficking, the assets of traffickers must be frozen and seized, while more charges must be filed against inmates behind this racket above the ones they are already serving sentences for, Permpong said.

The four people arrested in yesterday's raids will be subjected to the heaviest penalties, while carry death sentences that would be punishable to the inmates involved themselves, he added.

The three networks targeted yesterday were run by Soros Phongkahjornsak and Sakda Lertrassamithat, who are incarcerated at Ratchaburi's Khao Bin prison, and Somchai Labcharoen, who is at the central Ayutthaya prison. The four suspects arrested yesterday are either their spouses or relatives.

The raids were conducted in eight locations in Bangkok, two in Ang Thong, two in Nakhom Pathom, two in Ratchaburi, three in Kanchanaburi and two in Nong Bua Lamphu provinces.

The assets owned by the eight networks total about Bt77 million, Permpong added.

The seven agencies participating in the raids were the Army, police, Department of Special Investigation, Anti-Money Laundering Office and the Department of Provincial Administration in addition to the ONCB and DEA.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/Crackdown-on-prison-drug-trade-30259472.html


-- The Nation 2015-05-07

Should be interesting to know the level of involvement of the DEA. What is the terms of the agreement?

I feel this is the best solution: fight drug with professional officers and methods will be more efficient than to put 300,000 poor chaps in jail.

The team hopes to nab 42 dealers in 44 locations in 17 provinces

nothing like publicising the stunt before hand... give 'em time to get away

Bt 61 Mio assets? Big success? Have my doubts whether this operation makes any difference to dealers....

I think its going to take a long time to sort this country out drug networks run from prisons I am beginning to think its just like America a country overrun with drugs .

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Should be interesting to know the level of involvement of the DEA. What is the terms of the agreement?
I feel this is the best solution: fight drug with professional officers and methods will be more efficient than to put 300,000 poor chaps in jail.

Whilst I'm not a huge fan of the way some countries facilitate the war on drugs...getting US DEA on board will certainly

put a huge dent in the big dogs that always seem one step ahead of the law.

What i like about using the DEA is that they leave drug abusers to the local police.

I do feel drug abuse is a medical issue and not so much a criminal one. The DEA normally focuses on the cartels and large suppliers. The people at the top of these organizations should be fearing! Look forward to reading more arrests at the top...

It's known that some dealers make more money in the prison then on the streets. For these criminals it's more lucrative to be imprisoned. This is typical in 3rd world country's. Once again, it's all about corruption. That said, this crackdown addressing the wrong side.

you can't trust DEA !!!!!!!!!

do job alone wihtout DEA !!

Shouldn't the DEA be focusing on getting drugs out of American prisons?