Authorities seized large quantities of illicit drugs, guns and assets worth nearly 330 million baht and arrested 131 suspects during a nationwide crackdown operation on Thursday.
Officers from Provincial Police Regions 1-9, the Metropolitan Police Bureau, the Narcotics Suppression Bureau, soldiers and local officials launched pre-dawn raids on 2,523 locations linked to 846 drug networks across the country on Thursday.
The operation, which began at about 5am, resulted in the arrest of 131 suspects wanted on 1,617 arrest warrants for drug offences. Authorities also seized 4.9 million speed pills, 590 kilogrammes of crystal methamphetamine, 1.2kg of ketamine, 73.4kg of heroin, 45,339 ecstasy pills, 196 guns and assets worth 327 million baht.
The biggest drug haul was in Ayutthaya province, where more than 2 million speed pills were seized, said Pol Gen Kitrat Phanphet, a deputy national police chief.
Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin on Thursday visited the Royal Thai Police operations centre for a briefing on the crackdown via a Zoom meeting. Pol Gen Kitrat, in his capacity as director of the police drug suppression centre, reported the outcome to the prime minister.
Mr Srettha thanked all officers involved, saying it was an urgent policy of the government to suppress narcotics.
He told officers to exercise caution after seeing many weapons seized during the raids.
The prime minister instructed all parties involved to integrate their efforts, keep exchanging information and jointly discuss drug problems. He said the government was ready to fully support their work.
Pol Gen Kitrat Phanphet, a deputy national police, reports the outcome of a one-day nationwide drug crackdown operation to Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin via a Zoom meeting on Thursday. (Photo: Thai Khu Fah Facebook)
