THAI CRACKDOWN SENDS PRICES OF DRUGS SOARING

BANGKOK - Street prices for illegal drugs have skyrocketed due to
scarcity, Thai police said yesterday.

This means the controversial crackdown - in which more than 300
suspects have been killed - is showing 'satisfactory' results, they
added.

The three-month campaign, which started on Feb 1, has driven up the
price of a methamphetamine pill from 80 baht (S$3.30) to 300 baht,
Major-General Pongsaphat Pongcharoen said.

'Although it's just the beginning of the war, we're happy with it as
it proves we're going in the right direction,' he told reporters.

Human rights advocates say the death toll hints at a 'shoot-to-kill'
policy by police. But police have blamed most of the deaths on
infighting among gangsters.

'Contrary to what you think, police are actually finding ways to
prevent dealers from getting killed because we do need their help in
tracking down big guys,' Major-Gen Pongsaphat said.

But he conceded that some officers may have killed suspects for fear
of being implicated in trafficking cases, and some investigations were
under way.

He said police have arrested 15,616 drug suspects, seized six million
methamphetamine tablets and 182 million baht worth of assets from drug
dealers.