Thai anti-narcotics agency launches major crackdown on drug traffickers

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BANGKOK, Sept 1 (TNA) – Thailand’s Office of Narcotics Control Board (ONCB) and anti-narcotics personnel yesterday arrested drug trafficking suspects and impounded assets in 49 areas of 13 northern and central provinces, as well as Bangkok.

Cooperating agencies applied 23 warrants to search homes of suspected drug traffickers in these areas.

ONCB Secretary-General Permpong Chavalit said the operation followed the arrest of nine drug suspects in March in the northern province of Phetchabun in which police seized 3 million methamphetamine pills.

Mr Permpong said the suspects received the drugs from Yao and Hmong ethnic minority drug traders and  smuggled them from Myanmar and Laos to Thailand.

In the operation, the anti-narcotics authorities arrested more than 13 drug traffickers and impounded assets worth more than Bt200 million.

In the northernmost province of Chiang Rai alone, anti-narcotics police arrested two suspected drug traffickers and seized assets worth Bt130 million in their possession.