REWARD FOR INFORMANTS REVAMPED

Purachai Urges Faster And Bigger Payouts

More money will be sought to pay as rewards for informants to boost
the drug fight, says Interior Minister Purachai Piumsomboon.

The government gave the Narcotics Control Board 20 million baht each
year to pay out as rewards but the amount was too small and payments
were too slow, Mr Purachai said.

An informant who provides a tip leading to a successful arrest and
drug haul gets three baht for every methamphetamine tablet seized.
However, the payout is capped at 200,000 baht, regardless of how many
drugs are seized.

The limit, and long delays before money is paid out, raised doubts
among people who provided help that their money might have been
pocketed by officials.

"Payment is so slow that records have gone missing and no one knows
who is entitled to the money," he said.

Mr Purachai said he had told police to speed up investigations and
processing of rewards, so that payouts will be made sooner.

At least half of the money should be paid immediately after an
arrest, while the rest could be paid out when suspects are prosecuted
in court.

Mr Purachai did not say how much more money would be sought as reward money.

It is unknown whether the rate at which rewards are paid will be
increased, but it seems likely that the 200,000 baht cap will be
reviewed.

At the very least, informants are likely to get paid sooner.

Mr Purachai said more money could be drawn from the government's central fund.

He said drug suppression authorities relied heavily on tips from
informants, who needed guarantees of their safety and of fair rewards.

Police needed to invest more in investigations to make their
operations more effective.

Investigators had taken part in some big assignments where financial
support from the government was vital to success.

Revamping the way rewards were paid out was another means of
supporting police, he said.

Police hold an annual bonfire to destroy drugs seized during the
year. In April they set fire to 2.2 tonnes of drugs, including a
tonne of heroin, 11.3 million speed tablets, 209kg of opium and 7.9kg
of ecstasy.