Drug suspects die in border clash

Officials: Thailand key route for heroin

By Subin Kheunkaew

Three suspected drug smugglers were killed in a midday clash with an armed government task force in Wiang Haeng district on Friday. Suthat Jarumanee, commander of the 7th Infantry Regiment, said autopsies on the three suspects were conducted after they were killed in a gun battle with Naresuan forces which were on a mission to guard the border against drug smugglers.

The gun battle took place 7km from the border and 4km from Ban Paeksam village in an area heavily occupied by ethnic Lisu people.

The village is located opposite a major base of the United Wa State Army where drugs were known to be produced as recently as 2002.

''The cross-border drug smugglers from neighbouring countries frequently use this jungle passage despite several arrests. Authorities are not worried if the post-mortem results show Paeksam villagers were involved in the smuggling,'' Col Suthat said.

Officials said a drug gang has adopted a tactic meant to divert authorities' attention.

The gang will first send villagers carrying nothing illegal across the border as an advance team. The villagers will then signal to the drug gang if they encounter authorities along the way. The drug gang can either flee or take up arms.

More fighting can be expected because government forces have been deployed along the border to prevent drugs from being smuggled into Thailand, the officials said.

The Office of the Narcotics Control Board said drug smugglers are likely to continue attempting to use Thai territory as their main transit route to smuggle heroin from the Golden Triangle to Europe and the United States as other frequently-used channels have been blocked.

Bangkok Post
Sunday February 11, 2007