WA MOVING TO SATURATE THAI MARKET

The United Wa State Army will flood the market with three billion
methamphetamine pills next year, or about 300 million tablets a month,
according to a Third Army source.

Production capability will be far above the estimated 600 million pills
their illegal factories in Burma churned out this year, the source said.

More gangs will shift to moving the drug into the country through the East
and Northeast rather than the North.

Because of the huge numbers of pills being made, shipments were expected to
be in bulk, ranging from 100,000 tablets to millions of pills.

The source said the Wa were experimenting with production of
methamphetamine in the form of an inhalant, which was expected to be
brought in via the border in Nan and Phetchabun. Gen Surayud Chulanont, the
army chief, said priority was being given to the problem, which posed a
threat not only to national security but also to politics. The most
effective way to combat drugs was to move against the producers and
dealers, cut demand and help addicts quit, he said.

An army source said the Internal Security Operations Command had submitted
its anti-drug plan for next year to Prime Minister Chuan Leekpai as Isoc
director.