Tackling narcotics is considered a national agenda, with Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha earlier this week unveiling the government’s urgent phase action plan for addressing the issue.
The unveiling saw the attendance of representatives from various Thai and foreign agencies, including the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime and the Foreign Anti-Narcotics and Crime Community of Thailand (FANC).
On this occasion, the prime minister witnessed the presentation of monetary awards for officials involved in asset seizures in major drug cases in 2022. About 8 million baht was awarded to officials who worked on four cases, equivalent to a 30% cut from the value of assets seized in the cases.
The premier also delivered his policy for cracking down on narcotics, acknowledging that the drug issue is complicated and impacts national security. Addressing it therefore requires prevention, suppression and rehabilitation efforts, as well as collaboration with neighboring countries.
The government has revised relevant laws to improve the efficiency of suppression and efforts to arrest traffickers and sellers, effectively leading to the seizure of 11.1 billion baht worth of drugs.
Gen Prayut meanwhile urged educational institutes to remain safe zones against drugs and called for family support against drug use, as well as the rehabilitation of drug users. Sub-district-level teams will also monitor communities for drug users while security forces work to safeguard borders against traffickers and seize the assets of trafficking rings.
The prime minister also warned that agency authorities will be held accountable for drug offenses committed by subordinates, adding that informants must be protected accordingly. (NNT)
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