Six Tons Of
Impounded Dope To Be Destroyed At Bang Pa-In
Almost six tons of illegal drugs with an estimated street value
of 14.6 billion baht, subject of 18,858 court cases, will be incinerated
on Thursday. Public Health Minister Sudarat Keyuraphan said substances
to be destroyed at Bang Pa-in Industrial Estate included 61 million
tablets of methamphetamine, 114,070 tablets of ecstasy, 321 kilograms
of heroin, 6.12kg of cocaine, 16.75kg of codeine, 217kg of opium
and 46kg of marijuana. Another 37.73kg of precursor chemicals
and substances that affect the nervous system and which are sometimes
used for medicinal purposes would also be destroyed in a pyrolytic
incinerator, which carbonizes the substances very quickly and
did not cause pollution, she said. In the past the destruction
of illegal substances was carried out only once a year, but the
Food and Drug Administration was having problems storing the large
increase in amounts confiscated substances, so it had been increased
to twice a year, secretary-general Supachai Khunaratanapruk said.
Another 4,165kg of seized drugs were destroyed on Feb 12. Thursday's
burn would bring the total for the year to 10,081kg, worth about
18 billion baht. The amount of seized drugs being kept at the
FDA pending court cases had increased from 1,000kg per month to
1,500kg since the government launched its war against drugs in
February, Dr Supachai said. Narcotics Suppression Bureau Commissioner
Chalermdej Chompoonuch said a dramatic increase was seen in the
confiscation of all illegal drugs except methamphetamines.
Source: Bangkok Post, Aphaluck
Bhatiasevi, 24 June 2003
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