AYUTTHAYA, 24 June 2011 – The Ministry of Public Health has incinerated over 5,800 kilogrammes of confiscated narcotic drugs worth 7.4 billion baht in observance of the International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, 26 June.
Public Health Minister Jurin Laksanawisit presided over the incineration, which was the cooperative activity of related units including the Food and Drug Administration, the police, the military, the Office of the Narcotics Control Board and the Bangpa-in Industrial Estate.
The 5,844 kilogrammes of narcotic drugs destroyed today were confiscated from over 3,800 cases. The burning was the 39th of its kind in Thailand to commemorate the International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking.
The drugs included 22 million pills of methamphetamine or so-called ‘Ya-Ba’, 248 kilogrammes of heroin, 23 kilogrammes of crystal methamphetamine, 34,171 pills of ecstasy, 7 kilogrammes of cocaine, 72 kilogrammes of opium, 43.168 litres of codeine and 3,400 kilogrammes of marijuana.
Pyrolytic incineration was used in the destruction in which the narcotic drugs were placed in the temperature of not less than 850 degrees Celsius, breaking down molecules of the materials being burnt into carbon powder in no time without polluting the environment.
After the incineration, the carbon powder will be inspected to ensure that it cannot be used for narcotic drug production after disposal.
