Police carry out an astounding 609 drug raids yesterday

Police went on a raiding rampage yesterday as if they were the drug-fueled ones, not the 319 drug rings they busted in one day. Over 200 people were arrested and drugs worth over 17 million baht were seized in over 600 locations during a series of raids in Thailand’s southern provinces on Monday.

The massive coordinated raid efforts were announced at the Hat Yai Police Station in Songkhla. The assistant police chief and deputy director of the narcotics prevention and suppression centre revealed the results alongside the commissioner of Provincial Police Region 9.

Authorities took aim at 319 drug syndicates when they raided 609 locations in southern Thailand. The raids were carried out throughout the provinces of Narathiwat, Pattani, Phatthalung, Satun, Songkhla, Trang, and Yala.

Police arrested 235 suspects related to 227 different drug cases. Along the way, they scooped 320,829 meth pills, 4.75 grammes of methamphetamine, 4.81 grammes of heroin and 29 guns from the drug rings.

In the course of confiscations and seizures, police also took 72 properties from suspects, which are valued at a total of 17.4 million baht.

This huge sweep follows a recent series of busts in the south that broke up four cartels. Police arrested 18 members of four main drug traffickers in the South, which include two gangs in Songkhla, one gang in Yala and one in Phatthalung. In those busts, officers also confiscated 14.2 million baht of properties along with a sizable stash of drugs. A total of 30 grammes of methamphetamine and 1,971,700 meth pills were nabbed.

Provincial Police Region 9 were assigned the investigation following the raids and now turn its attention to climbing up the supply chain to bring the leaders of drug trafficking rings in the southern provinces to justice.

The far-reaching tally of busts yesterday is intended to interrupt drug trafficking nationally and police are motivated to step up drug busts. The Deep South of Thailand has long been a thoroughfare for drugs to move. Police are also working to share information from different agencies and departments.

A mutually shared database of drug investigations in the South is being created. It will incorporate the records of criminals, drug suspects, and felons across the country to coordinate efforts.

The system will also be equipped with facial recognition tools, said to have 90% accuracy, which can be used in police vehicles and in large operations like this drug bust.