‘Defeat Andaman’ nets 320 arrests, 200,000 meth pills

Not to be outdone by their counterparts in the south, Region 8 Police carried out an anti-crime operation, titled “Defeat Andaman.” The raids resulted in the seizure of over 200,000 meth pills and 96 firearms with 320 suspects being arrested.

Defeat Andaman aims to reduce crime and improve life in the area, despite a name implying the opposite. The operation also led to the confiscation of 228 items of property valued at about 41.3 million baht. The pull included nine cars and two houses with land.

Speaking at the Region 8 Police headquarters in Mai Khao, the deputy national police chief announced the Defeat Andaman initiative’s success. The campaign targeted drug networks and operations in the seven southern provinces under the Region 8 Police jurisdiction.

The provinces – Chumphon, Krabi, Nakhon Sri Thammarat, Phang Nga, Phuket, Ranong, and Surat Thani – include some of the most popular tourist hotspots in the country.

The drug crackdown campaign was ordered by the national police chief Pol Gen Damrongsak Kittipraphat. While police fight drug crime constantly, this sweep marks the first campaign of the year under the Defeat Andaman banner.

A total of 320 suspects were arrested, with 18 taken into custody on outstanding warrants for arrest. The drug haul netted a total of 196.51 grammes of ice along with 235,290 meth pills. Police also confiscated 112 property items valued at 41,300,572 baht and 96 guns and weapons.

The police officers will continue to take intensive action to reduce the spread of narcotics in all areas, according to the deputy national police chief. Officials did not release province-specific details though, so it is unclear how many arrests were made and how many drugs were seized in Phuket or Surat Thani, for example.

The massive string of Defeat Andaman raids came just after Provincial Police Region 9 went on a raiding rampage the day before busting 319 drug rings 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.

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.