National—
On December 21st, 2023, Pol. Lt. Gen. Panurat Lakboon, the assistant national police chief, publicly revealed the results of the eradication of drug networks in the northern border of Thailand, Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai, by Taskforce 35.
According to a report by Thai narcotics control board officers, Pha Mueang military officers had encountered a group of drug smugglers on December 17th, and as a result, fifteen alleged drug smugglers were extrajudicially killed and more than 2 million units of illicit substances were confiscated in Mae Fah Luang District and Mae Sai District, Chiang Rai.
Pol. Lt. Gen. Panurat publicly stated that the Thai Minister of Justice has a policy to launch urgent operations in the northern border provinces of Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai per order by the Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin.
However, Taskforce 35 consisted of Thai narcotics control board officers and relevant agencies that were arranged to reinforce intelligence investigation, intercept, and eradicate the drug networks in northern Thailand.
As a result of an intelligence investigation, Taskforce 35 was able to track down further two drug smuggling networks on December 19th, 2023, and captured four alleged suspects with more than 500,000 amphetamine pills at Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai police checkpoints.
