Another THB3-billion worth of Tuhao’s assets under spotlight: justice minister
Thai authorities are in the process of confiscating more assets valued at about 3 billion baht owned by suspected crime boss Chaiyanat “Tuhao” Kornchayanant and his alleged accomplices.
Justice Minister Somsak Thepsuthin said on Friday that this imminent seizure will be in addition to the 5.3-billion-baht worth of assets already confiscated, including real estate, buses, bank deposits, businesses and an aeroplane.
The minister said he has ordered the seizure of another 216 million baht in assets, including 262 buses and a plot of land belonging to the alleged Chinese triad leader.
An investigation by the Narcotics Control Board (NCB) has uncovered assets valued at more than 8.5 billion baht believed to be owned by Tuhao and people in his network. Somsak made the announcement at a press conference on Friday at which NCB secretary-general Wichai Chaimongkhon was also present.
The justice minister also told the press that in the first quarter of fiscal 2023 (October-December 2022), 20.2 billion baht worth of assets were confiscated from 242 drug-trafficking rings.
He added that this accounted for 20% of this year’s target of confiscating 100 billion baht worth of assets from drug gangs, which he said “will certainly be achieved”.
Somsak said that in 2023, 541 million baht in seized assets have been added to the Narcotics Fund to fight drug trafficking, compared to only about 30 million baht a year previously.
The minister also put on display several items used to conceal heroin and “ice” (crystal methamphetamine), including umbrellas and brochures. The items, heading for Hong Kong, were recently intercepted by customs officials.
