Bangkok (VNA) – Thailand’s anti-drug authorities have arrested 1,607 drug suspects in six northern provinces this year and have pledged to step up efforts to bring more to justice in the 2025 fiscal year starting next month.
Accordingly, Taskforce 35, a northern drug suppression unit, was involved in 44 anti-drug operations. It seized 256 million meth pills, 2.68 tonnes of crystal meth, 375 kilogrammes of heroin, 206 kilogrammes of raw opium and 21 kilogrammes of ketamine in 18 districts in the six northern provinces, including Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Mae Hong Son, Phayao, Nan and Tak between December 1 2023 to September 8, 2024.
Police General Narit Thawornwong, Commander of Taskforce 35, said these narcotics are owned by two groups of drug networks in Thailand. The first includes networks that smuggle drugs into the country's southern region and Malaysia. The other consists of those that ship them to the central and eastern regions.
Narit added that the targeted market for meth pills is mainly Thai people, while crystal meth, ketamine and heroin are aimed at foreign drug users.
Thai authorities will increase efforts to crack down on drugs in the 2025 fiscal year in a bid to fulfil the government's pledge to minimise the impacts drugs have on its society./.
