TASK FORCES TAKE ON TRAFFICKERS

Watchlists To Target Suspects In 132 Areas

Special anti-drugs task forces will monitor suspects in 132 areas in a
nationwide crackdown on trafficking over the next six months.

Jurin Laksanavisith, PM's Office minister in charge of drug suppression,
said yesterday the 524 task forces would be given watchlists of known drug
suspects in 15 Bangkok areas and 117 provincial areas.

He would hand the lists to the 67 southern task forces in Ranong on June 10
and deal with Bangkok and the other provinces a month later.

The National Narcotics Operation Centre (NNOC) was determined to keep a
closer eye on drug dealers, especially those in the capital and the border
provinces used by traffickers as transit and storage points.

Mr Jurin said anti-drugs agents were under orders to keep the NNOC advised
of all developments so that the watchlists could be updated before they are
distributed.

The 524 task forces were set up specifically to target gangs attempting to
sell drugs in Thailand. More than 90% of drug production bases are outside
the country. The suspects all had good connections with producers in Burma,
he said.

The minister said the special units would also raid communities suspected
of assisting the drug gangs. This was in line with the government's
attempts to keep communities nationwide free of drugs.

The government planned to build drug rehabilitation centres in every
province and police were being encouraged not to arrest addicts who were
willing to enter them for treatment.

Sorasit Saengprasert, secretary-general of the Office of the Narcotics
Control Board, urged the task forces to keep the watchlists secret until
arrests are made.

- - Surveillance is being stepped up on groups of Africans suspected of
trading locally in heroin, a senior narcotics official said yesterday.

The suspects are believed to have Thai customers, Theeraphat
Santimethaneedol, a deputy secretary-general of the ONCB, said.

This was a clear sign most African traffickers had ceased working as
couriers and were becoming pushers instead, he said.

The suspects had good connections with drug networks in the North, through
the help of Thai middlemen.

Narcotics agents are targeting communities in the Pratunam area on New
Phetchaburi road and Soi Nana on Sukhumvit road.

Police seized 124,100 methamphetamine pills and made 10 arrests over the
past two days in Bangkok and Chiang Mai.

Since January, police have seized 5,894,070 speed pills, 176.7kg of heroin,
583kg of marijuana and 1,545 ecstasy pills.