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AFP-Thailand executes drug traffick



Subject: AFP-Thailand executes drug trafficker

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Wednesday, January 5 6:36 PM SGT=20
Thailand executes drug trafficker
BANGKOK, Jan 5 (AFP) -=20
Thailand has executed a convicted drug trafficker from Myanmar, =
officials said Wednesday, as new data showed police made 170,000 =
drugs-related arrests in 1999 and seized 45 million amphetamine pills.

Hla Win, 49, was shot by firing squad late Tuesday at Bangkwang maximum =
security prison in Bangkok's northern suburbs.

He was arrested at Bangkok International Airport in 1993 and found in =
possession of 13.9 kilograms (30.58 pounds) of heroin. His death =
sentence was upheld by the Supreme Court and a plea for royal clemency =
was rejected.

Government minister Jurin Laksanawisit, who oversees the Office of =
Narcotics Control Board, Wednesday unveiled new drugs data which showed =
airports and airlines must play a crucial role in reducing drugs =
smuggling.

"We cannot use x-ray machines to check for drugs at airports or on =
airliners, they are only weapon detectors," he told reporters.

Aviation staff must be extra vigilant as air travel was the preferred =
mode of transit for drugs traffickers, he added.

The announcement came a day after Thai Prime Minister Chuan Leekpai =
indirectly blamed Myanmar for a lack of cooperation in stemming the flow =
of illicit drugs.

The criticism followed the discovery by police here of two hauls =
totalling 3.8 million amphetamine tablets allegedly manufactured by =
ethnic Wa insurgents in eastern Myanmar.

"I have instructed the national police chief to find more effective =
measures to intercept drugs as this haul has proved that international =
cooperation was useless," Chuan told reporters Tuesday.

Jurin said Wednesday senior Thai officials and their Myanmar =
counterparts would hold talks in Myanmar next month and Thailand would =
raise the effectiveness of anti-drugs operations at border checkpoints.

Officials would also discuss the issue of exchanging drugs suspects and =
a crackdown on factories in areas controlled by Myanmar's ethnic =
minorities.

"All I can say for the cooperation with Myanmar is that we want it to =
intensify," said Jurin.

Myanmar television reported Tuesday more than 5.3 million amphetamine =
pills had been seized in a raid in the north of the military-ruled =
country near the Thai border.

The government in Yangon frequently trumpets its anti-narcotic efforts =
and denies it could do more to crack down on trafficking in areas =
controlled by insurgents.

Myanmar is one of the world's biggest producers of heroin along with =
Afghanistan and is accused of hosting hundreds of amphetamine factories =
along its east and northeast border region.


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<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2><B>Wednesday, January 5</B> 6:36 PM SGT =

<H2><FONT color=3D#800000 size=3D4>Thailand executes drug=20
trafficker</FONT></H2>BANGKOK, Jan 5 (AFP) -=20
<P>Thailand has executed a convicted drug trafficker from Myanmar, =
officials=20
said Wednesday, as new data showed police made 170,000 drugs-related =
arrests in=20
1999 and seized 45 million amphetamine pills.</P>
<P>Hla Win, 49, was shot by firing squad late Tuesday at Bangkwang =
maximum=20
security prison in Bangkok's northern suburbs.</P>
<P>He was arrested at Bangkok International Airport in 1993 and found in =

possession of 13.9 kilograms (30.58 pounds) of heroin. His death =
sentence was=20
upheld by the Supreme Court and a plea for royal clemency was =
rejected.</P>
<P>Government minister Jurin Laksanawisit, who oversees the Office of =
Narcotics=20
Control Board, Wednesday unveiled new drugs data which showed airports =
and=20
airlines must play a crucial role in reducing drugs smuggling.</P>
<P>"We cannot use x-ray machines to check for drugs at airports or on =
airliners,=20
they are only weapon detectors," he told reporters.</P>
<P>Aviation staff must be extra vigilant as air travel was the preferred =
mode of=20
transit for drugs traffickers, he added.</P>
<P>The announcement came a day after Thai Prime Minister Chuan Leekpai=20
indirectly blamed Myanmar for a lack of cooperation in stemming the flow =
of=20
illicit drugs.</P>
<P>The criticism followed the discovery by police here of two hauls =
totalling=20
3.8 million amphetamine tablets allegedly manufactured by ethnic Wa =
insurgents=20
in eastern Myanmar.</P>
<P>"I have instructed the national police chief to find more effective =
measures=20
to intercept drugs as this haul has proved that international =
cooperation was=20
useless," Chuan told reporters Tuesday.</P>
<P>Jurin said Wednesday senior Thai officials and their Myanmar =
counterparts=20
would hold talks in Myanmar next month and Thailand would raise the=20
effectiveness of anti-drugs operations at border checkpoints.</P>
<P>Officials would also discuss the issue of exchanging drugs suspects =
and a=20
crackdown on factories in areas controlled by Myanmar's ethnic =
minorities.</P>
<P>"All I can say for the cooperation with Myanmar is that we want it to =

intensify," said Jurin.</P>
<P>Myanmar television reported Tuesday more than 5.3 million amphetamine =
pills=20
had been seized in a raid in the north of the military-ruled country =
near the=20
Thai border.</P>
<P>The government in Yangon frequently trumpets its anti-narcotic =
efforts and=20
denies it could do more to crack down on trafficking in areas controlled =
by=20
insurgents.</P>
<P>Myanmar is one of the world's biggest producers of heroin along with=20
Afghanistan and is accused of hosting hundreds of amphetamine factories =
along=20
its east and northeast border region.</P></FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>

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