BANGKOK (ANN/THE NATION) – In a symbolic conclusion to this year’s intensified anti-drug efforts, Thailand is set to embark on a monumental task of incinerating a staggering 340 tonnes of confiscated narcotics, commencing on December 26, as announced by the government.
The convoy carrying the seized drugs made its journey from the Thai Public Health Ministry in Nonthaburi to the Bang Pu Industrial Estate in Samut Prakan, following a ceremonial send-off presided over by the ministers of public health and justice on December 25.
Divided into two phases, the destruction process will unfold with the incineration of 110 tonnes over eight days starting tomorrow, while the remaining 230 tonnes are scheduled to be burnt between January 19 and February next year.
This initiative is part of the Thai government’s ambitious “Set Zero” campaign, signifying the largest-ever disposal of narcotics in Thailand, underscoring the nation’s unwavering commitment to curbing the drug trade.
Among the drugs going up in flames will be over 156 tonnes of methamphetamine pills, crystal meth (ice), heroin, and various other illicit drugs. The incinerator will reach temperatures of 1,800 degrees Celsius to ensure the complete destruction of the narcotics while minimising environmental pollution. Authorities say THB9 million has been budgeted for the operation.
Drug-burning ceremonies will then be conducted every month throughout 2024 to ensure seized narcotics do not re-enter the market or end up in other’s possession. Substances seized in police operations and proven to be narcotics can then be promptly destroyed without having to wait for the cases to conclude.
Authorities expect to destroy about 100-150 tonnes of confiscated narcotics per month.
Criminal gangs in the lawless borderlands of the Golden Triangle in Myanmar and Laos are flooding Thailand with narcotics bound for both the domestic and international market. Experts say the narcotics seized by authorities represent just a small fraction of the illicit trade.
