War On Narcotics: PM BACKS CALL TO USE DRUG FUNDS

Seized Assets Will Pay For Police Operations

Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra has seconded the idea to use assets
seized from drug traffickers to finance drug-busting operations.

The prime minister said police needed the "means" to drive the anti- drug
campaign and traffickers should be indirectly made to foot the bill.

Mr Thaksin was also receptive, albeit cautiously, to a suggestion for the
government to churn out fake speed pills causing minor sickening effects
such as nausea and vomiting to make them unattractive to buyers.

Sitha Thiwaree, secretary to the deputy defence minister who floated the
idea, said the fake pills should be made available at low prices or even
free of charge in a market-dumping tactic to destroy the mainstream drug
network.

The prime minister said the suggestion was made "in jest". But it would not
hurt for the Public Health Ministry to study the idea, he added.

Mr Thaksin also said it was worth considering rewarding informants who
helped in drug busts. They should, for example, be given two baht for every
speed pill seized.

He added that a senior leader of a European nation had suggested Thailand
should legalise marijuana and other less serious drugs to draw people away
from the really harmful ones.

Mr Thaksin stressed he did not intend to follow the advice but this was yet
another idea to ponder.

Addressing a meeting to assess the national strategy to beat drug
trafficking, Mr Thaksin backed the proposal to turn drug assets into
financial resources.

"We'll use what we took from the traffickers to weed them out," he said.

He added, however, that the amount of cash to be channelled to police had
yet to be determined.

The proposal was put forward by Pol Maj-Gen Vut Vithitanont, the Chiang Rai
police commander.

He said tentatively 5% of the value of drug-generated assets impounded
should be put into a fund and distributed to provincial police to finance
drug raids.

He acknowledged the acute shortages in staff and equipment to ensure
effective suppression. Police abusing the fund would be liable for
punishment three times harsher.

Pol Maj-Gen Vut said that in Chiang Rai alone, 889 drug traders were on
trial and the number nationwide was likely to top 50,000.

Peerapan Premaputi, the Anti Money-Laundering Office secretary- general,
said a draft bill on the tapping of trafficking gains was awaiting cabinet
consideration.

Mr Thaksin emphasised anti-drug cooperation on all levels. A fruitful drug
suppression required categorising of the "supplier side, the demand side
and the potential demand group".

Supplies entered the country largely from Burma and Laos through the common
borders.

Police chief Pol Gen Sant Sarutanont said about 60,000 non- commissioned
officers who obtained a bachelor's degree would be trained in drug-busting.

He vowed to root out rogue officers dealing in drugs.