Thai government determines to suppress narcotics

BANGKOK, June 30 (TNA) - Deputy Prime Minister Police Captain Chalerm Yubumrung announced Saturday that Thailand will seek for China's support in eradicating cross-border drug trafficking. Speaking during the weekly broadcast of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, Police Captain Chalerm, in his capacity as the Director of the National Command Centre for Drugs, said that there is virtually no major drug production in Thailand now, pointing out that narcotics now enter Thailand via eight border provinces in the Thai North, mostly through Chiang Rai, Mae Hong Son and Chiang Mai. Chalerm said that a joint drug suppression centre has been set up by Thailand, China and Myanmar, following reports that a major drug production base was set up near Chiang Rai's Mae Sai district, and that a Chinese deputy prime minister for security affairs will visit Thailand soon; so, he and other Thai authorities concerned will ask for the Beijing's support in holding talks with neighbouring countries to cooperate on cross-border drug prevention and suppression. The deputy premier revealed that two new bills are being drafted aimed to rehabilitate drug addicts to help them stop drug use for good and to reduce a legal process for capital punishment against drug traffickers to 15 days, from 60 days now. According to the deputy prime minister, about 370,000 drug addicts have received treatment so far this year, out of the government's target of 400,000 addicts and authorities have seized about 57 million pills of methamphetamine, 215 kilogrammes of heroin, 1.1 tons of ‘ice’, 11.5 tonnes of marijuana and 20 kilogrammes of cocaine over the past 10 months. (TNA)