POLICE WANT SPECIALISTS TO HIT DRUG TRADE

Police want to prosecute more drug suspects, and have asked the government
to increase the number of drug-specialist investigators in every province
from next year.

National police chief Pol Gen Sant Sarutanont said yesterday most current
investigators did not specialise in drug cases.

Hence, they faced many problems regarding inquiries into small and
medium-scale drug suspects.

Pol Gen Sant said the investigators lacked expertise and field experience,
and were not careful in their investigations, which was why prosecutors
often dropped charges against suspects.

Such problems rarely occurred in Bangkok because the Narcotics Suppression
Bureau could directly take cases to prosecutors attached to the drug
division and then to another drug division at the criminal court.

The three units had worked closely together and had common expertise.

He said he wanted to see a drug division at the prosecution office in every
province to streamline the process.

Pol Gen Sant added he had been told by his assistant, Pol Lt-Gen Noppadol
Somboonsap, that the spread of drugs in Bangkok, particularly in Klong
Toey, has greatly decreased.

Pol Lt-Gen Noppadol was assigned to track down drug dealers in the communities.

He had assured there were no big-time drug dealers left there.

Only small-time drug dealers were found to cash in on the void. About 100
of them had been arrested to date.