Thailand’s Deputy Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai announced on Monday that the government is launching “Operation Fallen Bridge”, a six-month campaign to address drug issues, call centre scams, and human trafficking,
Mr Phumtham, who is also the defence minister, said a meeting scheduled for Jan 30 would bring together officials from the Interior Ministry, Royal Thai Police, the Office of the Narcotics Control Board (ONCB), the Anti-Money Laundering Office (Amlo), and other agencies. They will discuss strategies to tackle these problems more effectively.
Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra, military leaders and the national police chief, Pol Gen Kittharath Punpetch, will reveal the campaign’s specifics after the meeting. Phumtham warned that stricter measures would follow if progress weren’t made in six months.
Phumtham’s statement came after former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, a key figure in the ruling Pheu Thai Party, pledged to eliminate illegal drug abuse and call centre scams from neighbouring countries by year’s end.
Mr Thaksin is wrapping up a three-day visit to the Northeast to support Pheu Thai candidates for provincial administration organization (PAO) positions in the Feb 1 elections.
Following a recent visit to the Mekong River area, Mr Phumtham highlighted the challenges of numerous unofficial border crossings.
A “two-layer border security system” will soon be implemented across 14 provinces, 51 districts, and 76 police stations, covering eastern and western borders. He said this approach aims to curb illegal activities, but the campaign’s results must be evaluated after six months.
“If any officer feels unfit for this task, they can request a transfer. It’s not about being moved to a better post—this is about doing a critical job,” Phumtham said.
Meanwhile, the Narcotics Suppression Bureau (NSB) seized 3 million methamphetamine pills and arrested two suspects at a house in Nakhon Pathom. The suspects, identified as 32-year-old Katakorn and 27-year-old Supattra, were detained during a Sunday evening raid.
Police discovered seven fertilizer bags filled with meth pills at the property. Authorities also confiscated a pickup truck and three mobile phones.
NSB Chief Pol Lt Gen Santi Chainiramai said the bust followed the earlier seizure of 5 million meth pills and the arrest of two men in Ayutthaya on Nov 9. Investigators linked the drugs to a network operating in Nakhon Pathom, which smuggled the pills through Thailand’s northeastern border.
On Saturday, police received a tip-off about a large shipment of meth heading to Nakhon Pathom, leading to the arrests.
