Drug burned to mark International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking

AYUTTHAYA, June 26 (TNA) -- Over six tons of narcotics are burned on Monday by Thai authorities marking the International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking. The 6.3 tons drugs, mostly methamphetamine, were seized from 7,245 drug offenders and had been kept by Food and Drug Administration of Thailand. Assistant to the Minister of Public Health Thawat Suntrajarn said estimated value of the drugs destroyed on the 48th incineration of confiscated drug was at Bt13.6 billion. Marking the United Nation’s International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking on June 26, Thai authorities destroyed the drug using a pyrolytic incinerator at Bang Pa-in Industrial Estate in Ayutthaya province. FDA, police and other law enforcement agencies destroyed the confiscated drugs, comprising of over five tons of methamphetamine, known in Thai as Ya Ba. Other types of narcotics included opium, crystal methamphetamine, heroin and marijuana. There remained about 85 tons of illicit drugs from unclosed cases remaining in FDA’s strorage, he said. FDA Secretary-General Wanchai Sattayawuthipong said since 1977 Thailand had burned 128,776 kilograms of drugs worth nearly Bt200 billion in 48 annual incinerations. (TNA)