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NMSP seizes over 8,000 amphetamine tablets on Thai-Burma border
Mon 12 Feb 2007,
IMNA, Loa Htaw
Over 8,000 amphetamines tablets were seized and a smuggler arrested by the New Mon State Party (NMSP) in Three Pagodas Pass (TPP) Township near the Thai-Burma Border on Saturday, according to the NMSP’s anti drug department.
The anti drug department authorities arrested the smuggler Nai Kyar Lon with 8,834 amphetamine tablets at 4:30 p.m. in the area under their control between the Japanese well village (Palaing-Japan village) and the Thai border military check point, said an officer of the department.
“It is the first arrest by the party this year,” he added.
The smuggler has been identified as a Karen ethnic villager. But NMSP anti drug authorities suspect that the smuggler is related to the local base of the ethnic armed group.
While the NMSP has detained the smuggler, it is yet to decide how they will charge him. Earlier the NMSP used to hand over smugglers to the Thai border military authorities after arrest.
The TPP border Township is under the administrative control of the Burmese military government. Ethnic cease-fire groups including the NMSP, Karen Peace of Front (KPF), Democratic Karen Buddhist Army (DKBA) are also based in TPP and have some control over the area.
The majority of residents in TPP are ethnic people including Mon, Karen and Shan. Most of the families depend on logging and furniture trade for their survival.
The NMSP, in a bid to stop narcotics smuggling in their area of control set up the anti drug department in 2002. Thai border military authorities have encouraged the NMSP to take action against narcotics smuggling in keeping with the Thai government’s policy of “War on Drugs”.
After the NMSP started taking action against narcotics smuggling, the TPP border, especially in the NMSP controlled areas there has been less drug smuggling and fewer arrests in the Thai military border check point.
In the past, at least 10 smugglers were arrested yearly at the Thai military border check point and it was easier to access drugs on the TPP border.
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