Police involved in drug dealing face punishment, Priewpan warns
Police officers based in Bangkok at both junior and senior levels, who were involved in drug dealing, would face disciplinary and criminal action soon, acting national police chief Pol General Priewpan Damapong warned yesterday.
Speaking after a meeting with officials from the Office of the Narcotics Control Board, Priewpan said the ONCB had supplied police with evidence backing up suspicions that many police at inner Bangkok stations benefited from drug dealing.
For officers involved with drug dealers, Priewpan said he was more worried about police than military personnel. "They are much stronger than we policemen, who have many complicated things in our lives," he said, without defining what sort of complications.
Priewpan said he would meet soon with the commander of the Armed Forces to discuss the government's get-touch policy on narcotics to utilise joint police-military operations.
Bangkok police chief Pol Lt-General Jakthip Chaijinda said there were 10 big-time dealers based in the capital under police watch, and Deputy Prime Minister Chalerm Yoobamrung had threatened to punish him if widespread drug abuse continued.
"I am not sure if I will be removed from the Bangkok police chief's post, but I will do my job at my best," he said.
In regard to reports of Bangkok-based police being involved in drug dealing, Jakthip said it was possible as there were tens of thousands of police attached to the Metropolitan Police Bureau, who might also be part of other corruption and extortion. But he said: "They will be discharged if caught."
Meanwhile, Bang Khunthien police in Bangkok's Thon Buri have seized 11kg of amphetamine powder, mixed with vanilla and green tea fragrances. They arrested a suspect, Adisak Hongfon, who allegedly told police he had recently sold 50,000 tablets.
Police said Adisak implicated two unidentified Chinese nationals who hired him to produce the tablets, and told of a technique to conceal the smell of ya ba (speed) pills - by placing a large amount of dog excrement around his home, where he made the tablets.
Separately, two Lao nationals were arrested last Saturday in Nakhon Ratchasima while allegedly attempting to transport 17,985 amphetamine tablets to Bangkok. Khonsawan Kaewsa and Bunhome Wongwanthong confessed to being drug couriers for Bt90,000 a run.
