Pheu Thai ready to launch its promised crackdown on drugs, party officer says
Pheu Thai will follow through on its campaign pledge to tackle the narcotics trade by enforcing laws, rehabilitating addicts, and working at the international level, Linthiporn Varinwatchararoj, the party’s deputy secretary-general, said on Saturday.
”We intend to stand by our motto: ‘Drugs must be gone when Pheu Thai arrives’,” Linthiporn said.
Drug users have been getting younger over the past 10 years and are using higher amounts of drugs than adult addicts, she said, citing the United Nations’ World Drug Report 2022.
“Thailand’s drug problem is worsening every year despite rising amounts of drugs and [drug-related] assets seized,” Linthiporn said.
“In 2021, Thailand seized the highest amount of methamphetamine in Southeast Asia, as smugglers used the country as a path to move their products to overseas markets,” she said.
Authorities seized more than 16 tonnes of crystal meth last month, more than the total seized in all of last year, she added.
This shows that the methods used by the outgoing government are inadequate, Linthiporn said.
Pheu Thai has a four-pronged strategy for tackling narcotics. Linthiporn summed up its four steps as:
1. Suppressing drug manufacturers and dealers, with a focus on large-scale producers and seizing their assets to disable their networks. Pheu Thai will also amend relevant laws to accelerate asset seizures and prevent money laundering.
2. Treating drug addicts as patients and establishing more drug-rehabilitation centres. Rehabilitation programmes will also cover vocational training and former addicts will be monitored to prevent them from returning to drugs.
3. Using public networks in each community to tackle drug problems at the grassroots level. People who provide information about drug traffickers to police will receive a reward of 5% of the assets seized and their identity will be protected.
4. Coordinating with neighbouring countries to permanently eradicate the source of drugs and manufacturing facilities, as well as monitoring the borders to prevent drugs from entering the country.
Pheu Thai won the second highest number of MP seats in the May 14 general election and subsequently joined the party that won the most, Move Forward, in a coalition set up to form the next government. If the coalition succeeds in forming the next government, Pheu Thai is expected to assume key positions in the Move Forward-led government, including head of the drug operation taskforce.
