From October 2023 through March 2024 there were 1,335 arrests in 78 drug cases (not including kratom and marijuana), an increase of 6.21% on the same period a year earlier Phuket Vice Governor Sattha Thongkam was told at a meeting at Phuket Provincial Hall on Tuesday (Apr 30).
Present for the meeting was Capt Pongsakorn Itsombat of the Royal Thai Navy, representing the Phuket branch of the Internal Security Operations Command (Isoc), which serves as the political arm of the Thai military.
Also present were officers from the Office of the Narcotics Control Board Region 8 branch as well as other relevant anti-drug enforcement agencies.
In March 2024 alone there were 255 arrests in 86 drug cases (not including kratom and marijuana), marking an increase of 50.89% from February, officers at the meeting confirmed.
“The drug situation in Phuket continues to spread. Most drug cases involved amphetamines and crystal meth (ya ice),” said an official report of the meeting.
The most common type of drugs illegally used were amphetamine (ya bah), followed by ya ice, heroin and cocaine, respectively.
The areas with the highest incidence of drug use were Muang Phuket District, followed by Thalang District and Kathu District, respectively, the report noted.
Most drug arrests were that of general contractors and construction workers.
The information reported at the meeting was marked as accurate as of April 30, 2024.
The efforts to continue crackdowns on illegal drug use would continue while the committee explored other policy guidelines to help reduce illegal drug use on the island, including treatment and rehabilitation of drug addicts, the report noted.