Pracha puts commanders on notice over drug trafficking

**StrontiumDog** · 04-02-2012, 01:47 AM

Pracha puts commanders on notice over drug trafficking - The Nation

Pracha puts commanders on notice over drug trafficking

The Nation February 4, 2012 1:00 am

Narcotics sales among inmates to be stamped out in a year, minister vows

Prison commanders will face drastic action if they cannot cope with the government's strict policy on drug dealing in prison, which is now a national priority that will be completely tackled within one year, Justice Minister Pracha Promnok said yesterday.

He did not offer details of the action such commanders would face, but said they would need to "consider their future under the ministry", and that efficiency in implementing the policy would be the main criteria for evaluating their performance.

Five hundred highprofile drug convicts from all prisons will be sent to Khao Bin Prison in Ratchaburi and a few other maximumsecurity facilities next week.

Deputy Prime Minister Chalerm Yoobamrung said revenge killings or "silencing" murders among drug dealers was a possibility, but that no violent or extrajudicial measures would be used by police or other authorities.

A search at highsecurity Bang Khwang Prison in Bangkok conducted by 400 officials yesterday turned up a large number of contraband items, including 39 mobile phones, homemade knives and short pikes, gambling paraphernalia and moonshine alcohol.

Prison commander Vishanu Prajongkij said Pheerayuth Phaetsakul, an inmate implicated by highprofile drug suspect Niphon Kanchart, was now in a solitary confinement but denied any wrongdoing. Niphon was arrested on January 25 in possession of crystal methamphetamine and amphetamine tablets worth more than Bt1 billion in a Bangkok home he rented from an actress.

Slums targeted

Metropolitan police have targeted 18 slums where drug abuse is rampant for searchandsuppression operations. In raids yesterday, 60 suspects were apprehended - nine of them for unlawful possession of firearms - and 1,472 amphetamine tablets and six firearms were seized, along with a quantity of ammunition.

Two suspected dealers, Kittiphan Panoy and Thanandorn Khongjan, were arrested in possession of an AK47 assault rifle - an indication, according to Bangkok police chief Pol LtGeneral Winai Thongsong, of drug suspects' violent tendencies and willingness to fight to the death if confronted during police searches or arrests.

Three robbery suspects with long criminal records were male minors aged 16 and 17, the officer said, adding that this was another indication of the high degree of violence among young career drugrelated criminals.

Khlong Phai Prison in Nakhon Ratchasima last year discovered more than 100 mobile phones smuggled in by various means, including visitors hiding them in their anal cavities, relatives hiding them in food and supplies, and the use of slingshots and remotecontrol aircraft to deliver them over the prison's walls.

Prison commander Khongkrit Phongthawat said that of 841 inmates serving life terms, 88 drug convicts would be relocated to Khao Bin, while two prison guards had been suspended for assisting inprison drug deals.

A total of 3,348 inmates facing terms of 15 years to life are detained at Khlong Phai.

It costs an inmate Bt500,000 to purchase a Blackberry or highend Nokia phone model and get it smuggled into the prison, as these can connect to the Internet, making them highly sought after. Conventional models able to make voice calls go for 10 times their normal prices.

**StrontiumDog** · 04-02-2012, 01:49 AM

Young laws to protect them - The Nation

Young laws to protect them

The Nation February 3, 2012 1:00 am

Pracha Terat, deputy permanent secretary for the Interior Ministry, said the law had to be strictly enforced to protect children from drugs as well as prohibit entertainment venues from allowing youngsters under the age of 18 from entering.

Pracha was speaking at a seminar on the prevention of drug trafficking, which was attended by 1,360 provincial governors, local leaders and other officials from 14 Southern provinces. Adul Saengsingkaew, chief of the Office of the Narcotics Control Board (ONCB), said that since December, 120,000 suspects had been arrested for drug-related offences and 16 million ya ba tablets, 600 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine, 300kg of heroin, and 4,000kg of marijuana had been seized. Police have also confiscated the assets of about 1,500 suspects worth Bt600 million.

Last year, 92 police officers faced criminal charges and 133 faced disciplinary action for their role in drug trafficking. The Khao Bin Prison in Nakhon Ratchasima has installed a phone-signal jammer to stop inmates dealing drugs after about 2,000 mobile phones and drugs were found in prisons.

In related news, Muhammadnuri Hayibaka was nabbed and Bt35 million worth of cash and assets seized. Meanwhile, the Department of Special Investigation presented drug suspects Daochai Phuwijitthavornchai and wife Praniporn, who were arrested in Chiang Rai in a sting operation. So far, police have seized assets worth Bt40 million.

**StrontiumDog** · 04-02-2012, 01:51 AM

Picture of what is mentioned above, from yesterday...

StrontiumDog1 StrontiumDog

11.00am Pic-Police show off latest drug arrests. 58 people, 1472 yaba pills, 39g Ice, 6 guns+178 rounds bit.ly/w6wN4k RT @Reporter_Js5

**StrontiumDog** · 04-02-2012, 03:21 PM

http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/loca...ed-in-4-months

Yaba haul 16m pills

Published: 4/02/2012 at 01:43 PM
Online news: Local News

Anti-drugs officials have seized more than 16 million methamphetamine pills, or yaba, and more than 500 kilogrammes of crystal methamphetamine over the past four months, Deputy Prime Minister Chalerm Yubamrung said on Saturday.

Discussing the government's anti-drug campaign, which he heads, Mr Chalerm said authorities in the same period had also seized more than 200 kg of heroin and 3,000 kg of marihuana. More than 632 million baht in assets of drug suspects were confiscated, he added.

Mr Chalerm also said he planned to meet with the Myanmar ambassador to Thailand to discuss ways to prevent cross-border drug trafficking.

**StrontiumDog** · 04-02-2012, 03:31 PM

PM is satisfied with illicit drugs crackdown over past 4 months

PM is satisfied with illicit drugs crackdown over past 4 months

วันเสาร์ ที่ 04 ก.พ. 2555

BANGKOK, Feb 4 -- Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra on Saturday expressed satisfaction over the attempt to crack down on illicit drugs during the past four months, but stressed that more effort was needed to prevent to return of drugs into the communities.

Ms Yingluck presided over the policy meeting on drug suppression under the government's 'drug war' policy attended by armed forces representatives, provincial governors, provincial police commanders and other related agencies at the Government House.

She said the drug crackdown was on the national agenda and the government has to take a proactive approach to eradicating the narcotics problem in society.

The premier said she has assigned Deputy Prime Minsiter Chalerm Yubamrung to supervise the remedy and asked Education Ministry to address the drug problem in schools.

She said that the government wanted to see considerable advances in the “War on Drugs” within one year, and there must be improvement by 80 per cent from the present situation.

The spread of drug in the communities would be reduced, the number of users would be cut and some 400,000 users would be sent to rehabilitation with the hope that 80 per cent of them would not return to using drugs again, she said.

Meanwhile, drug smuggling points along the border would be policed more strictly and all agencies concerned would have to work with better coordination. (MCOT online news)

**StrontiumDog** · 04-02-2012, 03:32 PM

DSI to ask court for permission to tap phone of inmates

DSI to ask court for permission to tap phone of inmates

วันเสาร์ ที่ 04 ก.พ. 2555

DSI to ask court for permission to tap phone of inmates who are allegedly involved with drug trafficking rings

**baldrick** · 04-02-2012, 04:22 PM

Originally Posted by StrontiumDog

commanders

I first thought he was talking about military unit commanders - but as always they are fiddling while the country burns

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