Pubdate: Sun, 09 Feb 2003 Source: Bangkok Post (Thailand) Copyright: The Post Publishing Public Co., Ltd. 2003 Contact: http://www.bangkokpost.co.th/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/39 Author: Surath Jinakul RETURN OF A DANGEROUS POWDER DIRTY BUSINESS: Whether for domestic abuse or just passing through, heroin appears to be making a comeback in Thailand Sithichai Sukhathip had a very special mobile phone number for those who knew it. One call settled prices, delivery schedules, terms of payment and the amount of heroin or methamphetamine the caller wanted. At the age of 32, Sithichai was a rich man. Even while he was serving a life imprisonment term in his detention cell inside the Khong Phai Prison in Nakhon Ratchsima's Si Khiew District, his mobile phone kept him busy dealing drugs. No one knows how long Sithichai ran his drug trading operation from his prison cell before authorities found out about it last month. Before his arrest and imprisonment, Sithichai turned up frequently on police records as a major drug distributor for Wei Hsueh Kang, a long- wanted narcotics kingpin of the United Wa State Army. Before that, Sithichai worked for Khun Sa, before the drug warlord surrendered to the Burmese authorities in 1996. Sithichai was born Ar-zuan sae Lee, a Chinese Haw from along the northern border of Mae Hong Son Province. Police said that this is where he began supplying heroin and amphetamines to dealers and retailers across Thailand. Sithichai was arrested late in 1997 when he delivered 21 kilogrammes of heroin to a client waiting in a hotel on Sukhumvit. The Criminal Court and the Appeals Court sentenced him to a life term; he is appealing to the Supreme Court. Following the discovery of Sithichai's drug dealing business within the penal institution, drug suppression agents arrested those who helped him. Authorities dismissed and charged several prison officials, including the prison commander, Somsak Saraphol. A narcotics suppression agent told Sunday Perspective: "These corrupt officials provided Sithichai with everything he wanted and turned a blind eye to what he was doing in the cell." Sithichai's men working outside the prison gave the corrupt officials money in return for their ignorance. The prison commander received a new Mercedes sedan. The Anti-Money Laundering Office (Amlo) recently seized 20 million baht worth of Sithichai's assets , including the former prison commander's new car. "We believe this is only part of his ill-gotten wealth. We are investigating. He may have hidden up to a hundred million baht," says a source. Heroin Busts UP At a press conference early last month the man who directed the prison raid, Justice Minister Purachai Piemsomboon, said the Sithichai case is indicative of the influence of drug money and the dangers of the illegal drug trade. Several drug suppression officers told Sunday Perspectivethis week that "Sithichai sold various drugs, but it was mostly heroin. This confirms that it is not only amphetamines that threaten us today, but also the more dangerous heroin." The past years saw drug suppression officials focusing on the amphetamine trade, and rarely making busts for heroin. However, said one official: "There may have been less heroin sold these past few years, but we believe it is time to re-examine the heroin situation. Heroin seizures recently have been going up." Mr Chartichai Suthikrom, deputy secretary-general of the Office of Narcotics Control Board, confirmed that Thai authorities are seizing more heroin. According to Mr Chartichai, heroin seizures in the past decade averaged at less than 400 kilogrammes a year. They began to increase in the year 2001, however. In the first nine months of 2002, officials seized 500 kilogrammes of heroin. Another 300 kilogrammes was impounded in the last three months of the year. Some experts say the increasing amounts of seized heroin indicate an increasing volume of heroin circulating in the market, as well as a bigger demand. Heroin was the most dangerous and the most popular of illegal drugs in 1950s, when Thailand officially banned opium cultivation. Despite the ban, heroin remained the leading illegal substance in Thailand until the 1980s, when tough suppression measures successfully reduced heroin consumption and trafficking. Drug dealers then diversified into other drugs such as cocaine, LSD and lately, amphetamines. Officials are worried that the increasing heroin availability will worsen the drug addiction problem in Thailand. Several drug suppression officials fear that heroin _ which has more dangerous effects than amphetamines _ may find its way to children in schools. Amphetamine addiction is easier to cure than heroin addiction. "The situation could get worse," said one bureau official. Thailand is Transit Point Mr Chartichai, however, says these fears may be unfounded. "The increasing volume of seized heroin does not necessarily represent higher domestic production or demand. "Most of the seizures are of wholesalers; there are very few arrests of retailers," he said. Many drug suppression officials prefer to believe that the heroin seized in Thailand was destined to a third country. Confessions of those arrested bear that out, a police informant said. Other ranking officials note that there are more Amphetamine than heroin addicts. Official estimates say about three million people use amphetamines, and 300,000 people are hardcore addicts. "But we have to be on alert to prevent heroin from reaching the local users," he added. He said suppression of amphetamines has been successful at a certain level. Over 400 million Amphetamine tablets were impounded last year. "I think we are controlling the spread of amphetamines very well now. So what we have to do now is prevent heroin from returning," said Chartichai. But even officials who doubt the re-emergence of heroin on the streets of Bangkok are worried that Thailand may return as a major drug transit route. Officials have felt confident that Thailand had ceased to be a major drug route after heroin shipments from the Golden Triangle were drastically curtailed. The traffic was rerouted to China and other markets and routes. Police records show that the new routes take drug shipments from the Golden Triangle, pass through Yunnan, which adjoins north Burma, pass through agricultural land to Kanming Kwang Cho,and then to the ports of Shanghai. A good bit of the heroin, however, is sold in China. China's improved infrastructure system, with better roads and communication equipment has helped the drug trade to reroute. The Chinese government did not pay much attention since the official line was that they "did not have a drug problem like in Thailand." The past four years have seen an official recognition that there is a serious drug problem in China. In 2000, China began to implement harsher measures to suppress heroin movements, including quick court proceedings to sentence drug suspects. It was recently reported that China smashed drug production centres in Pang Zang, near the Burma border. Here, various outlawed Burmese minority groups work in drug production sites. "We received reports that most of the drug laboratories on the Chinese border were destroyed, with a hundred drug traffickers sentenced to death," a Thai official said. China has been seizing on average around 12 tonnes of heroin in recent years. This may be a reason why drug traders are returning to their old routes in Thailand. Drug suppression authorities believe that at least 60 drug laboratories lie along the Thai-Burma and the China-Burma borders inside the Golden Triangle. Another 20 production labs are in Laos and Cambodia. All are capable of producing amphetamine and heroin. Following the harsh suppression drives by Thailand and China, sources say most of the 60 labs moved to Laos, just across the Thai border. The Golden Triangle is the world's second largest heroin production site. Each year, some 500,000 rai (about 230,000 acres) in the Golden Triangle are planted with poppy. This yields about 1,800 tonnes of heroin, a little less than Afghanistan's poppy fields. Local drug suppression officials admit that controlling drug traffickers is not easy. "Sometimes it is a hide-and-seek game," one said. Mr Chartichai warns that after many years of absence, heroin could return to Thailand in full force. Authorities should anticipate the problem and prevent a serious situation in the future, he said. However, he admits, "I am not worried that heroin will be widespread in Thailand." Only Two Choices Interior Minister Pol Capt Purachai says the dangers of the heroin network can be contained with the determination of honest officials. To show the government's serious intent and to convince the public "that the war on drugs is not impossible," the Justice Minister said that authorities have smashed major drug networks last year. Aside from Sithichai Sukhathip, police have also made the following big arrests: * The network of Surasakdi Chantradraprasart, a large-scale drug dealer of ice (100 percent pure heroin base), which is used by some Bangkok youths in discos and other entertainment places. * The network of the Malaysian national, Lu Liew Zing or Ar-meng, who operates large restaurants and karaoke lounges in Hat Yai, Songkhla. He also exported heroin and imported amphetamines. The state seized part of his assets, worth 6 million baht. * The network of Somkiat Hoonbamrueng, a major distributor of amphetamines and heroin in the south, based in Surath Thani. The state seized assets worth 60 million baht from him. * The network of Jaimul Taomula, a major drug dealer in the northern region. He imported amphetamines from minority groups in Burma and distributed these to retailers in the north. The state has seized his assets worth 26 million baht. * Phairath Toviset, who ran a trafficking network in Ratchaburi. The state seized his assets worth 10 million baht. * A Singaporean national, Luang, who was a heroin agent for the United Wa State Army, for export of heroin to Switzerland. * Prasert Laonapharung, 42, was arrested in Bangkok in 1995 and a major drug ring crushed. The state seized his assets worth 500 million baht. "These arrests are not the last," says Pol Capt Purachai. "There will be more shortly. The war on drugs is going on and it will become harsher. And when we say drugs. we mean not only amphetamines or heroin but all other illicit drugs," he said. When Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra declared an all-out war against drug dealers last week, he set April 30 as the deadline for provincial authorities and the police to clean "every inch" of Thailand from drugs. Interior Minister Wan Muhamed Nor Matha says authorities must have a list of drug dealers and users in their district by February 1. Justice Minister Pol Capt Purachai issued a serious warning to drug dealers: "You have only two choices: be arrested or be killed." - --- MAP posted-by: Alex