Pubdate: Fri, 12 Apr 2002
Source: Bangkok Post (Thailand)
Copyright: The Post Publishing Public Co., Ltd. 2002
Contact:  http://www.bangkokpost.co.th/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/39
Author: Anucha Charoenpo

BURMA SHOOTS THAI DRUG INFORMANT IN BOTCH-UP

Rangoon Asked to Stop Heroin Dealers, But Wrong Man Shot

A police drugs "sting" went badly wrong when Burmese officials shot a Thai 
informant and seized nearly 38kg of heroin in Burma's Tachilek border town 
_ following a tip-off from Thai border authorities.

Now the Narcotics Suppression Division is asking Burma to hand back the 
informant, who was wounded.

Pol Maj-Gen Adithep Panjamanont, the division commander, said the arrest 
and shooting of Noppakhun Duangkham, 27, by Burmese security officials on 
April 1 was a misunderstanding.

Mr Noppakhun was not a drug trafficker, Pol Maj-Gen Adithep said.

He was a police informant who had connections with a Thai drug dealer who 
was able to contact Wa traffickers for supplies of heroin.

Mr Noppakhun drove a Land Rover from Mae Sai to Tachilek to pick up the 
heroin after a police sting operation in Mae Sai district of Chiang Rai was 
blown, said Pol Maj-Gen Adithep.

The sting initially called for the delivery of the drugs in front of a 
hotel in Mae Sai to undercover police posing as buyers. It was hoped a drug 
network would be exposed.

The plan was called off at the last minute when the Wa became suspicious 
and told the Thai dealer to pick up the heroin in Tachilek instead.

Mr Noppakhun was sent as a go-between to buy the heroin in Tachilek. The 
dealers agreed to load the drugs aboard the vehicle but declined to 
accompany Mr Noppakhun back to Mae Sai, where payment was supposed to be made.

Pol Maj-Gen Adithep said Mr Noppakhun parked the vehicle in front of Dipa 
Kyaw Bazaar near the border bridge in Tachilek.

A few minutes later a group of Wa drug dealers arrived, loaded the drugs 
onto the vehicle and told Mr Noppakhun to return to Mae Sai and then bring 
back the money for the heroin.

However, Burmese security officials decided to inspect the vehicle.

Two people aboard the vehicle resisted the inspection, leading to a scuffle 
and brief clash in which Mr Noppakhun was shot in the leg.

When the vehicle initially failed to return, Thai drugs officials realised 
something had gone wrong.

Pol Col Auayporn Jintakanont, deputy commander of the narcotics suppression 
division 1, contacted the Thai joint chairman of the Township Border 
Committee, Col Surasak Boonsiri,

He asked Burmese authorities to help block the escape of the heroin dealers 
and capture them.

When Burmese security officials moved in, Mr Noppakhun was shot and wounded 
in the leg.

Pol Maj-Gen Adithep denied his sting operation was initially planned to be 
made inside Burma, and said it was not necessary to give advance 
information to Burmese authorities.

Rangoon was disturbed over the incident, insisting there was no advance 
co-ordination and Thai officials made contact through the local border 
committee office only at the last minute after the plan went awry.

It was unclear whether Rangoon had filed charges against Mr Noppakhun, who 
was believed to have been sent for further interrogation in Rangoon.
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