Thai forces have conducted a joint patrol along the Mekong River with their foreign counterparts to mark the 10th anniversary of their cooperation, which was first initiated with China, Myanmar and Laos in 2011.
The joint operation was launched following the murder of 13 crewmen on board two Chinese cargo ships held by drug lord "Naw Kham" near Chiang Saen district of Chiang Rai on Oct 5, 2011. The mastermind was executed in China in 2013.
Since then, a Thai patrol unit from the Mekong Operation Centre (MOC) has participated in the operation together with officers from the three countries at least once every month.
In the operation, the forces of China, Myanmar, and Laos are responsible for patrolling the Golden Triangle and the upper reaches of the Mekong River, along the border between Myanmar and Laos, until the Chinese border.
Meanwhile, Thai forces with the MOC take on patrolling the Golden Triangle, the Thai-Lao border in Chiang Rai's Wiang Kaen district.
Apart from the joint patrol operation on the river, six Mekong countries, comprising Thailand, Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia, China and Vietnam, also established the Safe Mekong Coordination Centre (SMCC) to intercept transborder drug trafficking activities, including the transport of precursor chemicals that can be used in the production of narcotics in 2019.
Wichai Chaimongkhon, secretary-general of the Office of Narcotics Control Board (ONCB), said that under the SMCC's operations this year, forces have managed to confiscate 552 million meth pills, 29.8 tonnes of crystal meth, 21 tonnes of marijuana, 5.9 tonnes of heroin, 3.5 tonnes of opium, 2.7 tonnes of ketamine, 2.92 million ecstasy pills, 154.50 kilogrammes of kratom leaves and a total of 257.3 tonnes of precursor chemicals and chemical products.
He added the ONCB has worked with the Narcotics Suppression Bureau, international airport authorities and Asean seaport officials to establish the Airport Interdiction Task Force and the Seaport Interdiction Task Force for drug suppression.
Thailand also cooperated with other agencies in drug suppression, Mr Wichai said, adding Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha will launch an operation to aggressively enforce laws against drug trafficking next year.