Described: 20 Jan 2025 at 14:36
The government is putting together a six-month plan tackling drug issues, call center groups and human smuggling, Deputy Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai said on Monday.
Mr Phumtham, also defence minister, said a meeting was planned for Jan 30, when officials from the Interior Ministry, Royal Thai Police, Office of the Narcotics Control Board ( ONCB), Anti-Money Laundering Office ( Amlo ) and other agencies would discuss new measures to better tackle the three issues.
After the conference, Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra had fully reveal the details of the plan, along with leaders of the military forces and the federal police chief.
Stricter methods may be introduced if the entire situation did not improve within six weeks, Mr Phumtham said.
He was speaking after former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, the de facto leader of the decision Pheu Thai Party, promised an end to the misuse of illegal drugs and pursuits of call center gangs in neighbouring places by the end of the year.
Mr Thaksin is concluding a three-day tour of the Northeast to help Pheu Thai Party candidates running in the Feb 1 elections for members and chairs of provincial administration organisations ( PAOs ).
Following his visit to the Mekong River place last month, Mr Phumtham noted that the many organic bridges along the boundary pose a great concern to safety.
He said “a two-layer border security system ” may be implemented across 14 regions, 51 regions, and 76 officers facilities, covering both the eastern and western borders.
The changes may better support prevent illegal actions along the frontiers, he said, but the general plan needed to be evaluated after six weeks.
“Should any official sense that they are not appropriate for this work, we may give them the right to be transferred. It’s not about transferring to a better place, it ’s about you have an important job to do but you are not up to it, ” Mr Phumtham said.