Thai DPM praises collective action against drugs

BANGKOK, May 19 (TNA) - Thai Deputy Prime Minister General Yuthasak Sasiprapa has praised all agencies concerned, particularly the Royal Thai Police, for their collective actions against narcotics, expressing support for Deputy Prime Minister Police Captain Chalerm Yubumrung to head intelligence gathering on narcotics nationwide. General Yuthasak pointed out Saturday that drug trafficking has remained rampant, especially along the border, and arrests have been frequently made at several prisons with numerous cell phones used for drug trade seized, and that the situation would, probably, deteriorate if intelligence gathering was poor and cooperation was not given by concerned agencies. The deputy premier acknowledged that Thailand's Internal Security Operations Command (ISOC), 4th region office, has proposed that the government particularly speed up drug suppression in the troubled deep South, as part of money earned from drug trade was detected to have been used to finance insurgency in the region. (TNA)