Ministry launches drug-free prison drive

The Justice Ministry has launched a ‘‘White Prison’’ campaign aimed at making prisons nationwide drug-free.

Corrections Department chief Suchart Wong-anantchai yesterday admitted that only five out of 143 prisons across the country have announced they were ‘‘White Prisons’’, where inmates have not been involved in drug deals and the smuggling of mobile phones.

The five prisons are in Nakhon Sawan, Yala’s Betong district, Nan, Maha Sarakham, and Koh Samui in Surat Thani.

Pol Col Suchart said budget and personnel constraints were major obstacles in the department’s suppression operations against illicit drugs and the smuggling of prohibited items into the prisons.

He said many prisons were designed only to prevent inmates from escaping, not to prevent contraband from entering their grounds, but the department’s efforts to clean up jails would press on.

Meanwhile, four people have been arrested after a drug seizure in Phatthalung province.

Police yesterday raided a house in tambon Chaiburi in Muang district and found 800 speed pills and 22g of crystal methamphetamine, or ya ice.

House owner Chamrus Chaiyaket, 32, his wife Arporn Suwannasit, 32, and Khachorn Promyanont, 26, were arrested. The couple were allegedly selling drugs to Mr Khachorn at the time of the raid.

Police also seized six mobile phones, two cars, one pickup truck and four motorcycles at the property.

Earlier, police arrested Arnont Phetchot, 29, at a rented house in Phatthalung and seized 800 speed pills and around 5g of ya ice.

Police say his confession led to the arrest of the three people in tambon Chaiburi. Police say Mr Chamrus and Ms Arporn bought drugs from a drug inmate at Phatthalung Central Prison.

The inmate allegedly asked drug network members outside the prison to deliver the narcotics.

Elsewhere, a man identified as Somyos Piyathanawong, 27, was caught after police seized 55,000 speed pills and 1.2kg of ya ice at a housing estate in Bang Khunthian district of Bangkok yesterday. A handgun and 31 rounds of ammunition were also seized.

Police say Mr Somyos claimed the drugs belonged to a drug inmate identified only as Bor, who is serving a jail term at Khlong Prem Central Prison. He allegedly told police he was hired for 50,000 baht by Bor to deliver the drugs.