(Reuters) — Thailand incinerated over 7 tons of confiscated drugs on Friday (June 25) to mark the International Day Against Abuse and Illicit Trafficking in the outskirts of Bangkok.
The drugs seized by the Thai Narcotics Suppression Bureau from over 5000 criminal cases were estimated to be around 22 billion baht (about $622 million) in market value.
This is the 45th year that Thailand has organized the burning of illicit drugs, where during the past decades have been taking place at Utility and Environment Management Center in Ayutthaya Province just outside of the capital city.
Deputy Prime Minister, Yongyuth Yuttawong, who presided at the annual incineration ceremony said that the event was not ‘just for show’.
“This is not for show, as you can see just now that, this is for real. We have to show the international community that we are not ignoring the problems of this issue and we must find a way to tackle it,” he told reporters.
The 7,340 kilograms of illicit drugs being burnt at Friday’s ceremony included methamphetamine, popularly known as “Yaa-Baa”, Crystal methamphetamine or “Ice”, Ecstasy, Heroin, and Cocaine among others.
The Deputy Prime Minister said the amount of drugs that were seized so far was cause for concern.
“There are various drugs that totaled up to seven tonnes. I think the weight was more than last time, which is a concern,” he said.
During the past eight months, over 144,000 people age ranging from 15 to 24 years old are being targeted for treatment in rehabilitation. The majority were workers, unemployed people and farmers, said a Public Health Ministry statement.
