DUAL NATIONALITY TRAFFICKERS BLAMED FOR DRUG UPSURGE

Suppression Has Produced More Inventive Ways of Transporting

On August 4, Pittaya Jitranawat, the director of Narcotics Control
Board, Northern region, was the keynote speaker at a workshop on 'Case
Studies on Drug Suppression and Solutions; and Geographic Study',
hosted by the Commander of 3rd Region Army at Lotus Pang Suan Kaew
Hotel.

Pittaya said that 20 drug traffickers on the black list were aware of
being traced by the authorities and had fled to live in neighboring
countries.

Another 40 traffickers who were not included on the black list also
escaped to neighboring countries. The fact that they possess
identification cards issued by two countries as having both Thai and
Burmese nationalities has become a major obstacle in searching for
them.

Although the ya ba trade in the north had been reported initially as
lessening, traffickers have come back again with such groups as the Go
Gang, Wa and other minority groups.

The hill tribe teenagers and youths from minority groups and aliens
who work in the city are being hired to transport drugs for these
dealers. The director warned hill tribe youths, who might be thinking
of conspiring with drug traffickers, to be aware they are being used
as tools and it could cost them their future and/or their lives.

New methods are being used to transport drugs to fool the inspection
officials. For example, drugs are being hidden in a brassiere,
underwear or even inside the rectum. If the quantity was quite large,
the drugs would be hidden inside a spare tire hanging under a vehicle,
or hidden inside car seats.

Pittaya mentioned that in the North, heroin, cocaine, ice and
evaporative substances are being hawked among people in night
entertainment outlets, rather than ya ba.

He added that the Board's performance on reduction of opium planting
in the North met the target. By next year, the NCB will completely
eliminate all opium growing areas.

The NCB has run two operations with military and police offices. The
first is to deal with the new influx of narcotics into Thailand
through 288 routes and the second is to stop precursor substances from
being sent out from Thailand. Once they are sent out, they are used
for producing ya ba in the neighboring countries.

The NCB found some improvements were still needed. Racial
discrimination still exists. When villagers lack security they will
not assist the authorities to keep a watch on drug trafficking. There
are also some government officials who are still involved with drug
dealing.

Lt. Gen. Picharnmeth Muangmanee, commander of the 3rd Army Region,
said he was invited by the Myanmar authority to meet with the
commander of its Southern Army. It was reported that Myanmar
authorities had arrested and punished one high-ranking Myanmar
military officer who was involved in a deal of several hundred
thousand ya ba tablets.

China also reported that a heroin trafficker was arrested recently in
northern China and several hundred kilograms were confiscated. These
were mentioned to demonstrate that neighboring countries have placed
more importance on, and extended more cooperation with each other in
solutions for drug problems.

With the main factory production sites being in the neighboring
countries, one is tempted to point out the old adage that 'one swallow
does not make a summer'!