The seizure of 80 units of stimulant pill manufacturing machines in the journalist’s house

light of Myanmar

seizure of 80 units of stimulant pill manufacturing machines in the journalist’s

appeared in the 14 July 2001 issue of the Daily News newspaper published in the

other country. The translation of its heading reads “Largest Yaba (stimulant

pill) factory found during the second raid on a newspaper editor’s house; seven

international drug distributing agents seized together with clandestine factory

operating with fully-equipped pill making machines; police were astonished to

find such a large stimulant pill factory for the first time”. I would like to

police who raided the press of a local daily for the second time were astonished

to find such a large stimulant pill manufacturing workshop; that in addition to

the stimulant pills, they found the stamping machine and 80 sets of other

machines as well as a large haul of neatly packed Yaba for trafficking abroad;

that the high level police officers of the No 7 area revealed that for them it

was the largest ever seizure in life; that further investigations had led to the

seizure of the drug agents who were connected with the case; that at the same

time, the wife of a police was arrested together with hundreds of stimulant

pills in Nonthaburi District, the State police bureau announced that the

submission of the list of police of the country involved in the drug business to

the prime minister (Dr Thaksin Shinawatra) was deferred to the end of July; that

on 11 July 2001, the police led by police commander of the No 7 Division and the

police major-general of the Kanchanaburi District searched the Pathonkan local

press at No 50/6 in Htamaka Township in the district; that Naiphat, the 44-year

old owner of the press, was also an editor of the daily; that he was also the

owner of a company producing MD brand bottled water; and that Yaba pills, an

Ak-47 and a large number of rounds of ammunition were also found during the

when the police posing as drug dealers continued their search to arrest the drug

traffickers on 13-7-2001, the drug traffickers fired at them; the ones who fired

at the police included the 19-year son of Naiphat; that when police got the

information that he was hiding in a house in Peshen Township at Nakhonpathon

District, they raided the house; that the police found four other persons

together with 6,000 Yaba pills in the house; but the police failed to find

Naiphat; that the seized Yaba pills were packed with quality paper printed with

Laotian characters; that the police continued their manhunt concerning the case;

that the police arrested another three traffickers together with 6,800 Yaba

pills at a house in Banpon town; that the police also seized 5,000 Yaba pills in

a house in Nakhonpathon Township; that the house owner escaped arrest; that the

team led by a senior police officer of Kanchanaburi District police force,

assuming that the volume of Naiphat’s drug business would be big, made another

search on the press at 4 pm that day; that the police found 80 sets of Yaba pill

and Yaei pill making machines, four car number plates, six large plastic

containers of Yaba powder, seven bank accounts books, showing that the amount of

money deposited and drawn was in millions of bahts, and the passports indicating

commander of No 7 Police Division as saying that this was the largest seizure of

drugs in Thailand; that it was assumed that there were tens of pill stamping

machines and the connection of the trafficking business was large; and that he

family were still at large. It a;so quoted the Thai police chief as telling the

journalists at the head office of the State Police Bureau after the July meeting

of his department that although the date to submit the list of police of the

country who had connections with the drug business to the prime minister was set

at 15 July, it could not be presented on that date; that the meeting had decided

to submit the list after making thorough study of the police to ensure fairness

and justice; that no police station had submitted the list of police connected

with the drug business; that the lists presented by the police stations should

be checked thoroughly before being submitted to the prime minister; and that it

Police Lt-Col Chatchai of the investigation branch of the Nonthaburi District

police department and members searched a house at 96/66 in Ronriyankhowat ward,

Tiwanun Street in Pekkarit town in Kanchanaburi District. It was the house of a

police corporal. The police, before searching the house, disguised as drug

dealers, contacted the 38-year-old wife of the police corporal and found 2,000

Yaba pills from her. The police also seized baht 120,000, ten tickals of gold, a

.38 pistol in the house plus some documents. Soon, Police Lt-Gen Pichit and his

pills buried under the garage of an uninhabited house next to it. The woman said

that her husband had no connection with the case; and that he was away from the

house for a long time. But the police said that they were going to expose the

entire case; and that action would be taken against the police corporal

immediately if he was found to be involved in the case. A news report of the 16

July 2001 issue of Newsweek magazine said that when the navy of the other

country made a surprise check on the trawlers owned by the citizens of the

country, 7.8 million stimulant pills and 126 kilos of heroin worth US $ 1.26

from Bangkok said that the United States provided US $ 3.67 million to the other

country for narcotic drugs elimination task. It also said that the US had

cooperated with the country in drug elimination task since 1974. We are glad to

hear that the US had provided over US $ 3.5 million to that country and welcomed

the news reports on the seizure of the narcotic drugs as such actions are

inevitable. Putting a blame on others will bring no good results. Especially, it

is worse when the media personnel with ill will are launching slanderous

accusations against others, while they themselves are engaged in the narcotic

drug business. One must be clean if one wants to find fault with others. Myanmar

will make energetic efforts with goodwill to root out the narcotic drugs