Major crackdown planned on drugs, call scams, human trafficking

National police chief Pol Gen Kittharath Punpetch during a press briefing on the progress of “Operation Fallen Bridge”, which is aimed at arresting scam gangs, at the Royal Thai Police headquarters on Oct 11, 2024 (Photo: Apichart Jinakul).
National police chief Pol Gen Kittharath Punpetch during a press briefing on the progress of “Operation Fallen Bridge”, which is aimed at arresting scam gangs, at the Royal Thai Police headquarters on Oct 11, 2024 (Photo: Apichart Jinakul).

The government is putting together a six-month campaign tackling drug problems, call centre gangs and human trafficking, Deputy Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai said on Monday.

Mr Phumtham said a meeting was planned for Jan 30, when officials from the Interior Ministry, Royal Thai Police, Office of the Narcotics Control Board (ONCB), Anti-Money Laundering Office (Amlo) and other agencies would discuss new measures to better tackle the three issues.

After the meeting, Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra would formally announce the details of the campaign, along with leaders of the armed forces and the national police chief.

Stricter measures would be introduced if the overall situation did not improve within six months, Mr Phumtham said.  

He was speaking after former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, the de facto leader of the ruling Pheu Thai Party, promised an end to the abuse of illegal drugs and activities of call centre gangs in neighbouring countries by the end of the year.

Following his visit to the Mekong River region last week, Mr Phumtham noted that the many natural crossings along the border pose a great challenge to security.

He said “a two-layer border security system” would be implemented across 14 provinces, 51 districts, and 76 police stations, covering both the eastern and western borders

The changes should better help prevent illegal activities along the borders, he said, but the overall campaign needed to be evaluated after six months.

Vocabulary

  • abuse: the use of something in a bad, dishonest, or harmful way - การใช้ในทางที่ผิด
  • armed forces: a country's army, navy and air force - กองทัพทุกเหล่าทัพ
  • border: the official line separating two areas, regions or countries - เขตแดน อาณาเขต
  • campaign: a planned group of especially political, business or military activities which are intended to achieve a particular aim - การรณรงค์
  • de facto: in reality; in fact - อย่างแท้จริง, อันที่จริง, ตามความจริง
  • human trafficking: the trade of humans, most commonly for the purpose of sexual slavery, forced labor or commercial sexual exploitation for the trafficker or others (Source: Wikipedia) - การค้ามนุษย์
  • implement: to make something such as an idea, plan, system or law start to work and be used - นำแผนหรือนโยบายมาปฏิบัติ, นำมาใช้
  • Interior Ministry: the Thai ministry with responsibility over the Royal Thai Police, local administrations, internal security, citizenship, disaster management, land management, issuing national identity cards and public works - กระทรวงมหาดไทย
  • measure: a firm action taken to solve a problem or stop a dangerous unpleasant situation - มาตราการ
  • money laundering: hiding the origin of money obtained from illegal activities by putting it into legal businesses - การฟอกเงิน
  • narcotics: illegal drugs such as heroin, cocaine or crystal methamphetamine - ยาเสพย์ติด
  • scam: a dishonest plan, especially for getting money - กลโกง, แผนร้าย
  • strict: very careful and exact - เข้มงวด
  • tackle: to make an organised and determined attempt to deal with a problem - จัดการกับปัญหา

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