Pol Lt Gen Khirisak Tantinvachai, commissioner of the Narcotics Suppression Bureau (NSB), stated at a press briefing that he intends to eradicate narcotics and trafficking in Thailand’s worst affected provinces within three months.
His plea follows Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin’s recent visit to Chiang Rai, where he observed the capture of 8 million methamphetamine pills trafficked from Laos on the banks of the Mekong River in Chang Saen district.
Pol Lt Gen Khirisak said he has set a three-month deadline for state agencies to address the problem in response to Prime Minister Srettha’s drug suppression program, which aims to eliminate illegal narcotics in provinces after declaring drug eradication a national priority.
He explained that such a strategy and deadline are nothing new for his officers, who are continuously cracking down on narcotics dealers in Thailand.
Despite the fact that most narcotic drugs are created near the border, Pol Lt Gen Khirisak stated that the most serious problem is the spread of drugs in downtown areas. He stated that some merchants receive their items directly at the producing facility before delivering them to cities and urban areas.
“Dealers have a strategy to keep transporting drugs, so we are now focusing on preventing drugs from entering cities and urban areas,” Pol Lt Gen Khirisak said at the news briefing.
Soldiers are in charge of drug suppression along the northern border with the Golden Triangle, while police, particularly the NSB, are in charge of drug eradication in cities and towns. He stated that the government and state agencies have been trying to address problems in specific locations since October.
Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin has vowed to crack down on illegal drugs, saying that possessing “even one pill” should be punished, and ordering officials to press ahead with plans to recriminalise cannabis.
His government announced plans to re-list cannabis as a narcotic in February, after decriminalizing the drug in 2022.
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Geoff Thomas is an award winning journalist known for his sharp insights and no-nonsense reporting style. Over the years he has worked for Reuters and the Canadian Press covering everything from political scandals to human interest stories. He brings a clear and direct approach to his work.