Minister of Thailand: Thailand is illegal drug transshipment zone

Thailand has been used by drug traffickers as a hub and transit area for the transport of drugs, especially crystalline methamphetamine or ice and heroin, to different countries, Justice Minister Somsak Thepsutin said on Monday. Manufacturing base due to its severe drug production and trafficking penalties. Most of the drugs were manufactured by minority groups in the Golden Triangle area of ​​Myanmar and smuggled into Thailand on many routes. The drugs were smuggled across the western border through Tak and Kanchanaburi provinces and through Chiang Rai and Chiang Mai to the north. There were also drug smuggling routes through Laos to northeast Thailand and Vietnam. Somsak said the crystalline methamphetamine and heroin shipped through Thailand are destined for 19 countries and territories, including China, Macau, Taiwan, Hong Kong, the Philippines, Singapore, Israel, New Zealand, Australia, Norway, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States. At the end of 2019, crystalline methamphetamine and heroin were seized in greater quantities than before and this was a common problem in the countries of this region; However, many batches of drugs have managed to sneak through the trawls and reach destinations, including 316 kilograms of drugs. Crystal methamphetamine confiscated in Australia and 9,040.49 grams of ice confiscated in South Korea.