Thailand to establish dedicated appeal court for narcotics cases

The Supreme Court of Thailand has set in motion plans to establish a dedicated appeal court for narcotics cases, aiming to expedite the legal process for confiscating assets of drug networks. This initiative follows a meeting between Deputy Prime Minister Somsak Thepsutin and the newly appointed Supreme Court president, Anocha Chevitsophon.

The deputy prime minister requested guidance from Anocha Chevitsophon on handling narcotics cases, which presently account for over 85% of incarcerations in the country. He expressed the government’s desire to decrease this percentage by prioritising the immediate seizure of drug networks’ assets upon the arrest of suspects.

Somsak said the differentiation of cases by category will enhance authorities’ capacity to accelerate the freezing of drug networks’ assets.

Somsak also highlighted the new illicit drug law’s emphasis on asset freezing, asserting that this method has proven effective in dismantling drug networks.

Reflecting on his tenure as justice minister, Somsak noted a significant increase in the value of seized assets, from 900 million baht before his appointment to over 30 billion baht during his term.

In response, Anocha proposed the formation of a specialist illicit drug division within the court, consisting of judges with relevant expertise. This would facilitate consultation among judges in handling drug cases.

She also expressed support for Somsak Thepsutin’s proposal of an appeal court exclusively for drug-related cases, stressing the need for government support to implement this.

In a related development, Interior Minister Anutin Charnvirakul attended a press conference at Rong Kwang Police Station in Phrae, following the confiscation of 7.6 million methamphetamine pills worth over 300 million baht on Monday.

The discovery was a result of timely information from villagers who reported a suspiciously parked lorry near Ban Don Chum in Tambon Mae Yang Rong in Rong Kwang district. Upon inspection, the police found the lorry displayed a fake license plate and housed 38 sacks, each containing approximately 200,000 meth pills or a total of 7.6 million pills.

Authorities believe the drugs were being transported from the North to the central region, and the lorry’s driver likely abandoned the vehicle and fled, reported Bangkok Post.

Anutin lauded the successful seizure, attributing it to the effective collaboration between residents and authorities.

“This is a vital moment that reflects our determination in dealing with illicit drugs and influential figures.”

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