Drug trade run by foreign businessmen in Phuket, Koh Samui and Pattaya.

anti-drug agency and police are gearing up to dismantle foreign-organised crime syndicates which have been controlling the trade in illicit drugs at some of Thailand's famous tourist destinations for years. Krissana Pol-anand, the secretary-general of the Office of the Narcotics Control Board (ONCB), said ONCB officials and drug suppression police were very concerned about the drug trade run by foreign businessmen in Phuket, Koh Samui and Pattaya.''The drug trade run by foreign businessmen has been increasing in these areas. We're collecting evidence in order to bring these people to justice as soon as possible,'' said Pol Lt-Gen Krissana.
The ONCB yesterday held a press conference to announce its new drugs suppression policy.Pol Lt-Gen Krissana had been transferred to an inactive post at Government House by the coup-appointed government of former prime minister Gen Surayud Chulanont. He was re-appointed as chief of the ONCB by the Samak administration a few months ago.He said the ONCB and the police were combining forces to keep a close watch on foreign drug traders. He claimed the authorities already had a list of people involved in the illicit business.He said foreign drug dealers, especially Africans, had run their businesses in the country's tourist destinations for years. Some opened a business office in town as a front to conceal their illegal activities from authorities, while others travelled back and forth between their countries and Thailand.Pol Lt-Gen Krissana also expressed concern over the growing number of Thai women being deceived into marrying foreigners and being used by foreign drug dealers as couriers.Many had been used as drug couriers, he said. Over the past two years, 82 Thai women had been arrested in China and Australia after carrying heroin from India and Pakistan via Thailand.''I don't want Thai women to think that marrying foreigners will make their lives better because sometimes they are lured into the drug trade,'' he said.He said the Interior Ministry had been asked to help in a campaign to educate women in rural areas about these foreign drug dealers' ploys.
He said he had instructed officials to step up suppression of the drugs trade in 22 border districts in nine provinces over the past two months. Officers had found information that large amounts of methamphetamines would flood into the country during this period.