Step up crackdown on drugs, illegal firearms possession, Prayut tells agencies

Prayut, who leads a new committee to steer efforts in tackling narcotics, held the meeting at Phakdee Bodin building inside the Government House compound.

Attending the meeting were Deputy Prime Minister General Prawit Wongsuwan, Deputy Prime Minister and Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, Interior Minister General Anupong Paochinda, Justice Minister Somsak Thepsutin, Education Minister Treenuch Thienthong, Social Development and Human Security Minister Juti Krairiksh, Defence Ministry permanent secretary General Sanitchanok Sangkachan, Police Commissioner-General Pol General Damrongsak Kittiprapas, and representatives from other government agencies.

Before the meeting, Prayut was seen talking with Prawit in a reception room for about 15 minutes before they walked into the meeting room together.

During a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday, Prayut said narcotics played a significant role in the events leading up to the Nong Bua Lamphu massacre committed by sacked police sergeant Panya Khamrab.

Panya killed 36, including 24 children, before taking his own life.

He was arrested in January for drug abuse and suspended from duty until he was officially fired in June. He attended a court hearing on drug charges before heading out on the rampage.

During Wednesday’s meeting, Prayut noted that the violence at the nursery in Nong Bua Lamphu’s Na Klang district shocked the public, while the incident prompted all Thais and the government to become concerned about drug and gun possession problems.

Prayut said he would like to thank the Interior Ministry and the Royal Thai Police for promptly holding a joint meeting to discuss urgent measures for fast and tangible results.

The police and the Interior Ministry would coordinate with other government agencies to protect people’s lives and assets and bring back public confidence, he said.

The Interior Ministry and the police have proposed measures for gun control while the Justice Ministry’s drug suppression agencies proposed cooperation with the Public Health Ministry to cure and rehabilitate drug addicts, the prime minister said.

Drug addicts must receive both physical and mental rehabilitation under a careful programme so that they are successfully cured, he went on to say.

Prayut also said the drug issue is a national agenda, so he wants more measures to be drafted to tackle the problem.

The prime minister instructed all drug suppression agencies to step up efforts to tackle trafficking and frequently check villages and communities for drug pushers.