SWEEP TARGETS 149 VILLAGES IN ISAN BORDER PROVINCES

Troops, Special Units To Make Daily Raids

The military will co-operate in a drug suppression sweep against 149
villages in five northeastern provinces, to begin this month, a senior
official of the Office of the Narcotics Control Board said yesterday.

The villages were all suspected drug storage and transit
points.

Permphong Chavalit, director of the ONCB northeastern centre, said
there were many dealers, both minor and major, based in the towns and
operating in conjunction with northern drug runners.

Anti-drug agents had been keeping a close watch on them for many
years.

The villages are in Loei, Nong Khai, Nakhon Phanom, Mukdaharn and Ubon
Ratchathani provinces.

Troops from the Second Army would join in the planned daily sweeps, he
said.

In addition, 103 special task forces drawn from various law
enforcement agencies were also on standby to help. They had a list of
202 drug suspects active in the Northeast which was distributed to
them at the beginning of this month.

About 50 of the suspects had already surrendered to police, even
though no charges had been brought against them, because they could no
longer endure the heavy pressure the government was applying, Mr
Permphong said.

The director said police agents would help suspected dealers quit any
illegal activities and take up productive legal pursuits.

Although their personal details would be recorded and they would have
to sign an undertaking not to become involved again, no charges would
be filed against them because there would be no visible evidence.
About 700 addicts and 300 dealers who had earlier reported themselves
to police in Sakon Nakhon would on Saturday take an oath to give up
all further involvement before Jurin Laksanavisit, the PM's Office
minister who oversees drug suppression, he said.

There were clear signs that drug traffickers in the North, who were
feeling the pinch of suppression activities, had switched from their
traditional routes to the Northeast.

The temporary closure of San Ton Du pass in Mae Ai district, Chiang
Mai, last year was considered to be a major reason for this, he said.