THAILAND: THAI AUTHRITIES BURN MORE THAN 2.5 TONNES OF HEROINE AND AMPHETAMINE PILLS

Record ID: 648793

  • Title: THAILAND: THAI AUTHRITIES BURN MORE THAN 2.5 TONNES OF HEROINE AND AMPHETAMINE PILLS
  • Date: 27th April 2001
  • Summary: (W3)BANGKOK,THAILAND (APRIL 30, 2001) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 1. SLV/SV DRUGS ON DISPLAY (2 SHOTS) 0.11 2. CU OF BAGS OF HEROIN 0.17 3. SV POLICEMAN GUARDING DRUGS 0.24 4. SV THAI PRIME MINISTER THAKSIN SHINAWATRA CHECKING DRUGS 0.30 5. CU PRIME MINISTER THAKSIN HOLDING BAG WITH AMPHETAMINES 0.37 6. SLV/SV DRUGS BEING LOADED ON CARTS BEFORE BURNING (3 SHOTS) 0.53 7. CU OF BOX WITH DRUGS BEING OPENED 0.59 8. SV PEOPLE PLACING DRUGS INTO INCINERATOR (2 SHOTS) 1.11 9. SV INCINERATOR/SMOKE RISING (2 SHOTS) 1.22 (W3)BANGKOK,THAILAND (APRIL 27, 2001) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 10. SV SANDRO CALVANI, UNITED NATIONS INTERNATIONAL DRUG PREVENTION PROGRAMME(UNDCP) REPRESENTATIVE IN THAILAND IN HIS OFFICE 1.27 11. MCU (English) SANDRO CALVANI, UNITED NATIONS INTERNATIONAL DRUG PREVENTION PROGRAMME(UNDCP) REPRESENTATIVE IN THAILAND, SAYING: "There is a sky-rocketing increase of synthetic drugs, amphetamine type of stimulants,.."yaba" in Thailand, produced mainly in Myanmar but trafficked heavily through Thailand and China. This increase also shows an important integration of drug trafficking gangs with other kinds of organised crime in particular, illicit traffic of human beings, corruption, trafficking of arms and other activities of the organized crime which is very worrying situation." 2.03 12. CU BOOK ON DRUGS 2.10 13. MCU (English) CALVANI SAYING: "The problems are now very well known. We should now focus on solutions more than finger-pointing and blaming this or that Yes, Myanmar is the main producer,..the majority of money is not in Myanmar, it is in China. The majority of traffickers are outside Myanmar. So, I don't think there is any sense to put on scale who has to be blamed more." 2.38 14. CU OF ANTI-DRUGS POSTER 2.42 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 12th May 2001 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: BANGKOK, THAILAND
  • Country: Thailand
  • Reuters ID: LVACSS28TPDJG8GU1LHV7CALGBEC
  • Story Text: Thai authorities have burned more than 2.5 tonnes of
    heroin and amphetamine pills as part of a their high-profile
    war on drugs
    The issue of drug trafficking in the region has threatened
    to overshadow a summit of southeast Asian leaders in Myanmar.



    This most recent drugs stash put to the torch
    highlights the growing problem of drug trafficking in
    southeast Asia.

    Only last week, Thai police captured over 7 million
    amphetamine pills while in January the Thai navy intercepted
    two fishing boats carrying more than 8 million pills from
    neighbouring Myanmar.

    The Thai authorities say the flow of amphetamines into the
    country from Myanmar will nearly double this year to almost
    800 million tablets, up from 500 million in the last year.

    Finger-pointing over drug trafficking between Thailand and
    Myanmar has threatened to sour the ongoing ASEAN summit in
    Myanmar.

    Bangkok has frequently accused Myanmar of allowing
    unhindered production of illicit drugs along their volatile
    border - which has recently witnessed an upsurge in fighting
    between rebels from an ethnic minority and Myanmar governmenrt
    forces.

    Thai soldiers have become directly involved in the
    fighting on several occasions.

    Authorities in Yangon say the rebels - from the Shan
    minority - are at the root of the upsurge in production while
    the rebels say the government-backed United Wa Army is behind
    the majority of drug production.

    Myanmar's military government has denied it is involved
    and has claimed to be doing its part in the wider effort to
    eradicate production and trafficking of narcotics.

    The United Nations International Drug Control
    Programm(UNDCP) says there has been a decrease in production
    of heroin in the region but any gains there have been are
    more than undone by the huge increase in the production of
    amphetamine pills.

    . "There is sky-rocketing increase of synthetic drugs,
    amphetamine type of stimulants,.."yaba" in Thailand, produced
    mainly in Myanmar but trafficked heavily through Thailand and
    China. This increase also shows an important integration of
    drug trafficking gangs with other kinds of organized crime in
    particular, illicit traffic of human
    beings,corruption,trafficking of arms and other activities of
    the organized crime which is a very worrying situation",
    Sandro Calvani, the UNDPC representative in Thailand told
    Reuters.

    Despite the fact that Myanmar is the main producer of
    narcotics U. N. officials are reluctant to lay all the blame
    on Myanmar's military rulers.

    "The problems are now very well known. We should now focus
    on solutions more than finger-pointing and blaming this or
    that. Yes, Myanmar is the main producer, but the majority of
    money is not in Myanmar,..it's in China. The majority of
    traffickers are outside Myanmar. So, I don't think there is
    any sense to put on scale who has to be blamed more", he
    said.


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