BANGKOK – The Office of the Narcotics Control Board (ONCB) is intensifying joint efforts to suppress drug smugglers on planes with officials of other Southeast Asian nations in response to ongoing smuggling attempts from Africa.
ONCB Secretary-General Niyom Termsrisuk said the movement was necessary because the West African Drug Syndicate still played important roles in sending cocaine to Thailand and other Southeast Asian nations.
In the past two months, officials seized 7.6 kilograms of cocaine from four smugglers at Suvarnabhumi airport including 2.8kg with an Argentine man and 1.8kg with a South African woman. Last year officials seized 30.6kg of cocaine from nine smuggling attempts and all smugglers were hired by West Africans, Mr Niyom said.
“Smugglers stopped over in ASEAN member countries before arriving in Thailand,” he said.
According to him, cocaine is produced in Colombia and smuggled through Brazil and Argentina. Cocaine abusers are mainly rich people and foreigners. Cocaine dealers are West Africans, mostly Nigerians.
ONCB would increase its information exchange and expand its investigation and intelligence on narcotic cases with its counterparts in Southeast Asia, Mr Niyom said.
The increasing efforts complied with the government’s policy to enhance international cooperation to stop drug smuggling into Thailand, he said. (TNA)
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