Mekong action results in huge haul of drugs

>>More than 32 million methamphetamine pills have been seized thanks to a two-month-long coordinated anti-drug campaign by countries in the Mekong Delta, says the Office of the Narcotics Control Board (ONCB).

The joint campaign was implemented in Thailand, Myanmar, Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia since December, and driven by integrated efforts by anti-drugs authorities in each country, said Niyom Termsrisuk, the ONCB secretary-general. Authorities are hailing the success of the effort.

Mr Niyom said the aim of the operation was to block the flow of precursor drugs to illicit drug-production bases and prevent the drugs from leaving the production areas in the Golden Triangle.

Over the past two months, member states have seized a combined 32.3 million meth pills, 4.3 tonnes of crystal meth, 420kg of heroin, 2.9 tonnes of cannabis, 20kg of ketamine and 46 tonnes of substances used for producing illicit drugs.

In the past two weeks alone, Myanmar authorities confiscated 1.8 million meth pills and 340kg of ice on their side of the border in Tachileik, opposite Chiang Rai’s Mae Sai district.

In Laos, the authorities seized 600kg of ice in the central district of Pakkading, and another 6.7 million meth pills in the north.

Mr Niyom said the huge cache of drugs confiscated have helped stem shipments to distribution centres.

The joint operations were put to work under the Thai government’s policy to combat illicit drugs beyond its own national borders.