26,000 ARRESTED SO FAR IN WAR ON DRUGS

More than 26,000 drug traffickers - including hundreds of major agents -
have been arrested and up to Bt643 million worth of their assets seized
during the government's war on drugs.

The Interior Ministry revealed the figures at yesterday's Cabinet meeting.

According to the report, police caught 26,249 drug sellers between February
1 and March 16. Some 732 of them were classified as major traffickers.
During the same period, 5,821,455 methamphetamine tablets and huge amount
of assets were seized.

The Interior Ministry also disclosed that 357 government officials with
links to the drugs trade had so far been charged for their misdemeanours,
while a further 390 were currently facing actions.

The National Police Office has the highest share of blacklisted officers
with 477 policemen accused of being involved in the drug trade. Following
investigations by their agency, 135 were fired, dismissed or asked to leave
the service.

Legal prosecutions have been initiated against 39 police officers.

The Interior Ministry also revealed that 74 other government officials in
different fields had quit their jobs after their names were found on the
blacklist.

Meanwhile, a deadly clash with a suspected drug-dealing gang yesterday led
to the seizure of more than Bt10 million in assets including a mansion and
a 45-rai fish farm in Chiang Rai.

The owners of the mansion and fish farm, Boonma Duangkaew and Udom
Srisongmuang, were not present at the properties during the police raids.

In Nakhon Pathom, 40-year-old Kachen Saengthong and another woman were shot
dead. Investigators said they suspected it was another case of dealers
being silenced as the victims were widely known as major drug sellers.

In Loei, police arrested Somparn Suwannachat, 50, and his 21-year-old son
Natthawoot on charges of drug trafficking. Their assets, worth more than
Bt10 million, were seized. Both suspects denied any wrongdoing.