The fourth Youth Forum of the 33rd session of the General Conference of UNESCO will be held from September 30 until October 1 at its headquarters in Paris, France. Brunei will be represented by an official from the National Anti Drug Association (Basmida) Sri Yani binti Awang Hepnie (2nd L). The forum is aimed at strengthening ties between UNESCO and youths.

Source: Brunei Direct/Borneo Bulletin/Hussin HJ/29 September 2005/ http://www.brudirect.com/DailyInfo/News/Archive/Sept05/290905/bb04.htm

China

Drug Mules ut to Death n Shaanxi (sic)

THREE people were executed yesterday in Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, for smuggling and trafficking 10.5 kilograms of heroin from Myanmar. The Intermediate People's Court of Xi'an in northwest China also confiscated all property of the convicted traffickers, Yang Naijun, Liu Tianshun and Du Songhua. The Xi'an court said that Liu, Yang, Du, Li Quanfa and Li Quanxi, formed a drug smuggling and trafficking operation in 2002. Liu, Du and Li Quanfa, who was in charge of transport, were captured by police when they tried to move 7.1kg of heroin into Xi'an on January 11, 2004. Yang and Li Quanxi were arrested. Li Hongyun, another member of the gang, is still at large. Previously, they had sold more than 3 kilograms of heroin from Myanmar. The court sentenced Yang, Liu and Du to death on charges of smuggling and trafficking. The court sentenced Li Quanfa to death with a stay of execution for drug trafficking, and Li Quanxi was ordered imprisoned for 15 years for transporting drugs. Their appeals were rejected by a higher court and affirmed by the Supreme People's Court.

Source: Shanghai Daily/30 September 2005/ http://www.shanghaidaily.com/art/2005/09/30/193846/Drug_mules_ut_to_death_n_Shaanxi.htm

Big Drug Haul In Xuhui District

XUHUI District police solved 85 drug-related cases in the first nine months of this year, seizing 92 suspects, more than 80,000 yuan (US$9,877) in illicit money and a large quantity of narcotics, they announced yesterday. Police said the seizures included 4,500 grams of heroin, more than 1,100 ecstasy pills, about 230 grams of the methamphetamine ice and more than 550 grams of ketamine, a veterinary anesthetic.

Source: Shanghai Daily/29 September 2005/ http://www.shanghaidaily.com/art/2005/09/29/193371/Big_drug_haul_in_Xuhui_District.htm

Big Reward For Tips On Drug Criminals

THE Shanghai Public Security Bureau yesterday announced a reward of up to 150,000 yuan (US$18,519), on a trial basis, to those who help city police solve drug-related crimes. The newly issued regulation is aimed at exploiting public resources — both at home and abroad — to the greatest extent in the fight against drug crimes and criminals, officials revealed. The amount of cash prize will depend on several aspects such as the accuracy of the tip, the quantity and purity of the drugs seized and the number of suspects caught. The bureau is providing two hot line numbers for the public to provide tips: 2565-2409 and 2402-3396. The police authority also revealed city officers solved at least 1,000 drug cases in the first eight months this year, seizing 1,092 suspects, 173 kilograms of narcotics and 2.47 million yuan in illicit profits. Zhang Yi, vice director of the Shanghai General Team of Criminal Investigation, highlighted three cases solved this year. On March 13, Hongkou District police seized more than 10,000 ecstasy pills and about 700,000 yuan. A month later Putuo District police cracked a family criminal gang, capturing six suspects and 4.6 kilograms of heroin. Police confiscated a total of 1.3 million yuan and an apartment bought with 400,000 yuan in illegal money, a record cash seizure for local police. The latest success was achieved on August 16 when Pudong officers solved the city's first ever Ketamine drug case. (continued)

Source: Shanghai Daily/Yang Lifei/30 September 2005/ http://www.shanghaidaily.com/art/2005/09/30/193801/Big_reward_for_tips_on_drug_criminals.htm

Two Malaysian Drug Runners Arrested In HK

Two Malaysian men have been arrested at the Hong Kong International Airport carrying 1 million HK dollars (129,040 US dollars) worth of ketamine. Hong Kong Customs officers stopped the pair, aged 27 and 41, after their flight arrived from Kuala Lumpur on Thursday. They found six 1-kilogram bags of the drug on the two men, concealed in false compartments in their suitcases. They will be charged with trafficking and will appear in Eastern Magistracy on Friday.

Source: China View/30 September 2005/

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2005-09/30/content_3568459.htm

S. Korean Drug Smuggler Nabbed In Liaoning

A South Korean man was detected to carry methamphetamines in Taoxian Airport of Shenyang, capital city of northeast China's Liaoning Province. The man, around 40 years old, was found to carry over 10 small plastic bags around his wrist and laps containing 500 grams of methamphetamines in total, while going through security inspection before boarding a flight to South Korea's Pusan city. He was then handed to the airport Customs. Officials at the airport said they have before detected several cases involving drug trafficking through international airflights.

Source: China View/1 October 2005/

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2005-10/01/content_3573600.htm

Indonesia

Bali 9 Files

POLICE surveillance photographs of the Bali Nine in a hotel pool hours before their arrest are contained in the evidence that could send them to the firing squad. The Daily Telegraph can now reveal the details of the conspiracy that led the youngsters to try to smuggle 8.65kg of heroin out of Bali and land them on death row. The evidence also contains details of all the phone calls between them. Prosecutors yesterday officially handed the material to the Denpasar District Court, signalling that the group has now been officially charged. Trials will follow within a month. The file on Andrew Chan, one of the two alleged ringleaders, along with Myuran Sukumaran, is almost twice the size of the rest – testament to the important role police believe he played. The files also say the mules were forced by threats of violence to put their lives on the line. They also confirm the involvement of a 22-year-old Thai woman, Cherry Likit Bannakorn, alias Pina, who delivered the heroin to Bali but slipped through a police dragnet a day after the Bali Nine were arrested. A taxi driver, Dewa Gede Risdana Mesi, said in a statement that he delivered her to Kuta Seaview Cottages, where she met Chan. She was carrying a suitcase. The surveillance photographs show Scott Rush and Michael Czugaj relaxing in the swimming pool of the Hotel Aneka in Kuta a week before their arrests. Another shows Chan and Sukumaran on a staircase at the Hard Rock Hotel. (continued)

Source: Daily Telegraph/CINDY WOCKNER/28 September 2005/ http://dailytelegraph.news.com.au/story/0,20281,16745136-5001022,00.html

Bali Officials Sure Nine Will Get Death

Indonesian authorities say they won't need Australian police officers to testify in court to get the Bali Nine before a firing squad. Attorney-General Philip Ruddock withdrew cooperation in the case, saying it was standing Australian policy not to assist in foreign death penalty cases. Indonesian police arrested the nine in Bali in April after a tip-off from the Australian Federal Police (AFP). Bali drug squad chief Colonel Bambang Sugiarto said testimony from AFP officers would not be required in court. "No problem ... their statements are not important according to the law," he said. Indonesian prosecutors on Tuesday handed over case files to the Denpasar District Court, clearing the way for seven trials to begin next month. The files contain evidence gathered by AFP agents against the eight men and one woman who all face drug charges that carry the death penalty. But Mr Ruddock said: "we will not provide cooperation in relation to criminal matters unless there is an assurance that a death penalty will not be sought". "If there was further information that had to be obtained from here through the Australian Federal Police, we would seek an assurance that Indonesia would not be wanting a death penalty in each of those cases," he told reporters in Hobart. In Perth, Justice Minister Chris Ellison later confirmed that any request for assistance from Indonesia would have to be made under the two countries' Mutual Assistance Treaty, and require the death penalty to be taken off the table. (continued)

Source: Sydney Morning Herald/28 September 2005/ http://www.smh.com.au/news/World/Bali-officials-sure-Nine-will-get-death/2005/09/28/1127804538981.html

Canberra To Refuse To Help Indonesians Convict Aussies On Death Row

Australia will refuse to cooperate with Indonesian authorities prosecuting nine Australians on drugs charges because they have called for the death penalty, Attorney-General Philip Ruddock said on Wednesday. Five were arrested at an airport on the resort island of Bali in April as they prepared to board a flight home, four of them allegedly with blocks of heroin strapped to their bodies. Another four were arrested with the assistance of Australian police at a Bali hotel where some 300 grams (10.5 ounces) of heroin was found. Indonesian prosecutors on Tuesday gave files to the Denpasar District Court, seeking death by firing squad for all nine. Ruddock said Australia had agreements with other countries, particularly those who impose a death penalty, to "not provide cooperation in relation to criminal matters unless there is an assurance that a death penalty will not be sought". "If there was further information that had to be obtained from here through the Australian Federal Police, we would seek an assurance that Indonesia would not be wanting a death penalty in each of those cases," he told reporters. If that assurance could not be provided, "we wouldn't provide the information," he added. The role of Australian authorities in helping arrest four of group came under scrutiny here, with critics saying police should have waited to arrest them until were back on home soil where the death penalty has been abolished.

Source: Jakarta Post/29 September 2005/ http://www.thejakartapost.com/detaillatestnews.asp?fileid=20050928153232&irec=6

We Won't Help Bali Nine Die: Australia

AUSTRALIA yesterday ended co-operation with Indonesian police investigating the Bali Nine because they face the firing squad if convicted. Indonesian authorities immediately said they didn't need Australian police officers to testify in court to get the Australians accused of smuggling heroin executed. Attorney-General Philip Ruddock withdrew co-operation in the case yesterday, saying it was Australian policy not to assist in foreign death penalty cases. Indonesian police arrested the nine in Bali in April after a tip-off from the Australian Federal Police (AFP). Bali drug squad chief Colonel Bambang Sugiarto said yesterday testimony from AFP officers would not be required in court. "No problem ... their statements are not important," he said. Indonesian prosecutors on Tuesday handed over case files to the Denpasar District Court, clearing the way for trials to begin next month. The files contain evidence gathered by AFP agents against the eight men and one woman who all face drug charges that carry the death penalty. Mr Ruddock said: "We will not provide co-operation unless there is an assurance that a death penalty will not be sought. "If there was further information that had to be obtained from here through the Australian Federal Police, we would seek an assurance that Indonesia would not be wanting a death penalty in each of those cases." Justice Minister Chris Ellison later confirmed that any request for assistance from Indonesia would have to be made under the two countries' Mutual Assistance Treaty, and would require the death penalty to be taken off the table. (continued)

Source: Daily Telegraph/ROB TAYLOR/29 September 2005/ http://dailytelegraph.news.com.au/story/0,20281,16753778-5001021,00.html

Bali Nine Trial Dates Set

THE trials of the Bali Nine, who face the death penalty for allegedly trying to smuggle heroin out of Indonesia to Australia, will start in less than a fortnight. A series of seven separate trials is scheduled to begin from October 11 before the Denpasar District Court and could run for at least four months, defence lawyers for the accused said today. Trial dates have been set for all except Renae Lawrence, 27, of Newcastle, the only woman facing charges. Hearings are expected to be held once a week for each case. Prosecutors have demanded the death penalty for all nine. They were arrested in a series of Indonesian police raids in Bali after an Australian Federal Police tipoff in April. Four of the defendants were arrested at Bali airport as they were about to board a flight to Sydney, allegedly with heroin strapped to their bodies. Indonesian police say several later claimed under interrogation that they had tried to back out of the operation when they found out they would be smuggling drugs, but were forced to go ahead when threats were made against their families. The starting dates are: OCTOBER 11: Separate trials for accused drug mule Michael Czugaj, 19, of Brisbane, who was arrested at Bali airport; and alleged gang ringleader Myuran Sukumaran, 24, of Sydney. OCTOBER 12: Joint trial for Matthew Norman, 18, of Sydney, Tach Duc Thanh Nguyen, 27, of Brisbane and Si Yi Chen, 20, of Sydney. (continued)

Source: News.com/Reuters/Marian Carroll/29 September 2005/ http://www.news.com.au/story/0,10117,16763040-23109,00.html

Competing Appeals Over Corby's Fate

INDONESIAN prosecutors are confident a Bali appeals court will increase Schapelle Corby's 20-year jail term to life imprisonment. In contrast, the Gold Coast woman is praying that the judges will overturn her conviction for drug smuggling and free her. The defence and the prosecution have filed competing appeals, and both expect the Bali High Court to bring down its decision soon. If she is not released, her defence team expects the court will cut her sentence. However, prosecutor Ida Bagus Wiswantanu said he would not be satisfied until Corby was serving a life term for importing 4.1kg of marijuana into Bali last year. "We are confident the High Court will increase the sentence because drug crimes have wide implications on society," he said. "If it does not, we will appeal to the Supreme Court." Corby is waiting for the court's ruling in a cell at Bali's Kerobokan Prison. "Schapelle is becoming more anxious each day," her sister Mercedes said. "I get frustrated with all the delays, but when Schapelle heard about the latest one she said, 'Hopefully it means they're going to release me and the Australian Government has more time to do something to help.' "That's how she copes. "I hope they do (release her), but I can't get my hopes up because we have to stay strong." The Bali High Court, which could theoretically increase Corby's 20-year sentence, had been due to rule yesterday on whether it would agree to quash or cut her sentence. (continued)

Source: Courier Mail/Marian Carroll/30 September 2005/ http://www.thecouriermail.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5936,16760900%255E954,00.html

Corby's Judges To Try Bali Nine Case

THE alleged ringleaders of the Bali Nine, all of whom face the death penalty on narcotics and conspiracy charges, will be tried by members of the same three-man bench that sent Schapelle Corby to jail for 20 years for drug-running. Andrew Chan, the group's alleged organiser, will appear before a panel that includes one of Bali District Court's most senior judges and a member of the Corby judiciary, I Wayan Suastrawan. Mr Chan's alleged lieutenant, Myuran Sukumaran, will be tried by a bench headed by senior judge Gusti Lanang Dauh, who also sat in judgment of the Gold Coast beautician. Each of the nine Australians accused of conspiring to smuggle 8kg of heroin from Denpasar to Sydney will face a three-judge team, with individual trials for Mr Chan, Mr Sukumaran and the four alleged "mules" - Renae Lawrence, Scott Anthony Rush, Martin Eric Stephens and Michael William Czugai. The remaining three - Matthew Norman, Tach Duc Nguyen and Si Yi Chen - will be tried together.

Source: The Advertiser/30 September 2005/ http://www.theadvertiser.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5936,16764618%255E421,00.html

Prosecutors Confident Corby Will Get Life

Indonesian prosecutors are confident that a Bali appeals court will increase Schapelle Corby's 20-year jail term to life imprisonment. In contrast, the Gold Coast woman is praying that the judges will overturn her conviction for drug smuggling and free her. The defence and the prosecution have filed competing appeals and both expect the Bali High Court to bring down its decision soon. If she is not released, her defence team expects the court will cut her sentence. However, prosecutor Ida Bagus Wiswantanu said he would not be satisfied until Corby was serving a life term for importing 4.1kg of marijuana into Bali last year. "We are confident the High Court will increase the sentence because drug crimes have wide implications on society," he said. "If it does not, we will appeal to the Supreme Court." Corby is waiting for the court's ruling in a cell at Bali's Kerobokan Prison. "Schapelle is becoming more anxious each day," sister Mercedes Corby told AAP. "I get frustrated with all the delays, but when Schapelle heard about the latest one she said: 'Hopefully it means they're going to release me and the Australian government has more time to do something to help'. "That's how she copes. "I hope they do (release her), but I can't get my hopes up because we have to stay strong." The Bali High Court, which could theoretically increase Corby's 20-year sentence, had been due to rule today on whether it would agree to quash or cut her sentence. (continued)

Source: The Age/29 September 2005/

http://www.theage.com.au/news/corby-case/prosecutors-confident-corby-will-get-life/2005/09/29/1127804594336.html

Bali Nine Look to God

MEMBERS of the Bali Nine are holding up well, some of them even turning to God, as they face a lengthy trial process that could see each of them before a firing squad in the dead of night. Family members have begun arriving at Kerobokan jail to spend a few hours with their offspring and siblings, offering what support they can. Christine and Lee Rush, the parents of alleged "mule" Scott Rush, emerged from the complex at lunchtime yesterday. They were accompanied by Michael Corby, whose daughter Schapelle will be in the same facility for the next 20 years unless the Bali High Court reduces her sentence on appeal this month. The Rushes have been in Bali for more than a week, settling in ahead of the October 11 start date for the trials of their son and his eight alleged accomplices. Michelle Stephens, the mother of accused man Martin Eric Stephens, has visited over the past two days, as has the family of Renae Lawrence, the only woman among the accused. There were early fears for Ms Lawrence's safety after two self-harm incidents, but lawyer Haposan Sihombing said yesterday she had begun to accept that her fate was out of her hands. "Often foreigners in jail here find it difficult. The conditions are far from what they expect," he said. "Sometimes they're not able to control themselves. That's what happened to Renae. "But I told her, 'You've got to improve this - it's not good enough'." (continued)

Source: The Australian/Stephen Fitzpatrick/1 October 2005/ http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,16777723%255E2702,00.html

Woman Died In Corby's Arms

TWO Australians associated with the high-profile drugs cases of Australians Michelle Leslie and Schapelle Corby have witnessed the horrific aftermath of the overnight bombings in Bali. Photographer Sean Mulcahy, a friend of model Michelle Leslie, who is facing drug possession charges in Bali, was quickly at the scene of bombings in Bali's Kuta and Jimbaran villages. "There's a lot of injuries, a lot of horrific injuries, particularly in Kuta," Mr Mulcahy told ABC radio. "We spent the night travelling around through various sites. We went to Jimbaran which was an equally devastating scene. "Bodies were still being brought out of there some four hours later." Mr Mulcahy said he bumped into Mercedes Corby, the sister of convicted drug trafficker Schapelle, and said she was one of the first to attend on the scene in Kuta. "She told me that she was attending to a lady and the lady had died in her arms," he said. "She brought her to this particular hospital and the scene she described to me there and immediately after their bombing, was (of) utter chaos, people being resuscitated on the floor of the hospital waiting room, just sheer devastation." Mr Mulcahy said he had visited the main Denpasar hospital and witnessed a horrific scene. "A ute ... pulled up with two people in the back piled up like sacks. One of them was very clearly deceased and the other one very badly injured," he said. "The people here are really struggling to keep up with this."

Source: The Australian/2 October 2005/ http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,16789636%255E29277,00.html

Malaysia

Two Malaysian Drug Runners Arrested In HK

Source: China View/30 September 2005/

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2005-09/30/content_3568459.htm

Three Taiwanese Held For Trafficking

Three Taiwanese, two of them women, were arrested at the KL International Airport for trying to smuggle out 4.5kg of ketamine. The drug was found in bags strapped to their bodies. They were accompanied by a man. The Taiwanese were aged between 23 and 31. Federal Narcotics director Deputy Comm Datuk Mohd Najib Abdul Aziz said the drug was smuggled from India into Malaysia, which they used as a transit point. He said the women, who were couriers for a drug trafficking syndicate, had successfully smuggled drugs out of the country using the same method previously. In another success, DCP Mohd Najib said police smashed a local ketamine trafficking syndicate on Sept 22 with the arrest of five Malaysian men and seizure of 18kg of the drug. He said one of the men, aged 31, was in a car outside the overhead restaurant on the North South Expressway in Sungai Buloh. Police stopped him at 5.30pm and found the drug in the car boot. In follow up operations, police arrested four men, aged 23 to 41, at the Puchong Damansara Highway near the Lanjan toll plaza and seized four cars and more than RM55,120.

Source: The Star/4 October 2005/ http://www.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2005/10/4/nation/12222197&sec=nation

Ketamine Abuse On The Rise Among Youngsters

The authorities are worried. An anaesthetic used primarily on animals is increasingly being abused by youngsters. Ketamine, which has a hallucinatory effect, is gaining popularity among rave party revellers here, who call it "Special K". The rise in the use of ketamine appears to be in tandem with a reduction in the use of heroin and Ecstasy among club goers. Police have expressed concern that ketamine abuse is gaining a foothold among those under 30 in Malaysia. A BBC report in May 2000 claimed that medical research had shown that controlled tests on ketamine users had revealed impaired memory and mild schizophrenia several days after taking the drug. It is popular in China, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Japan. Ketamine has also become a hit in the United Kingdom, with recent media allegations of British supermodel Kate Moss having used the substance. Federal police narcotics department director Datuk Mohd Najib Abdul Aziz said today: "Previously, Malaysia was known to be a transit point for ketamine smuggling to China. Now there are local consumers and this trend is alarming." There has also been an upward trend in the seizures of ketamine. Over the past two weeks, police seized more than 20kg of ketamine after intercepting outward bound shipments of the drug. Last Friday, police nabbed a man and two women, all Taiwanese, at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Sepang. The women were found with six packets of ketamine strapped around their waists. (continued)

Source: New Straits Times/4 October 2005/ http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/Tuesday/National/20051004095116/Article/indexb_html

Three Taiwanese Smuggling Drugs Arrested In Malaysia

Three Taiwanese face possible death sentences after they were arrested at Malaysia's main airport for allegedly trying to smuggle the illegal drug ketamine to Taiwan, a news report said Tuesday. Malaysian security officials found 4.5 kilograms (9.9 pounds) of the synthetic party drug, sometimes known as "Special K," in small bags strapped to the bodies of two Taiwanese women and a Taiwanese man at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport on Friday, the national news agency Bernama reported. If convicted they face the mandatory death penalty for drug smuggling. Bernama did not give a reason for reporting the arrest several days later. The drugs with a street value of more than 600,000 ringgit (US$160,000; 132,000) were smuggled in from India by traffickers using Malaysia as a transit point, Bernama cited national anti-narcotics chief Mohammed Najib Abdul Aziz as saying, reports the AP.

Source: Pravda/4 October 2005/ http://newsfromrussia.com/world/2005/10/04/64391.html

Myanmar

Drugs Control Meeting Begins

A two day joint meeting on checking and controlling of cross border drug trafficking along the international border between India and Myanmar at Moreh and Tamu in particular commenced at Moreh today. An official source here said that the meeting which started from this morning had started discussions on the exchange of information on drug control and drug trafficking across the border between the two countries. An eight member Indian team comprising of different units of the security forces and agencies led by SP of narcotics and affairs border, NAB, M Sushilkumar Singh is participating in the meeting with a team from the neighbouring country led by DSP Tamu District Aung Htein, according to an official source. During the meeting officials of both sides will review the achievements of the two sides in combating the yellow peril of drug trafficking in conformity with the resolution passed in the latest such meeting held in the last week of August this year. It may be noted that one such meeting was also held in the last week of August last at Tamu, the border town of Myanmar with India. In that meeting, the two sides had agreed to share information and conduct cross-border operations to combat drug trafficking. The meeting which commenced from today will end tomorrow and is the 25th such meeting since April 2001 between the two sides, the source said. (continued)

Source: Kangla Online/The Imphal Free Press/29 September 2005/ http://www.kanglaonline.com/index.php?template=headline&newsid=26398&typeid=1&Idoc_Session=0a5d1e9240dd7a0a9e803f0ac3a05a59

There's No Business Like Drugs In Muse

Business in Muse, Shan State's northernmost city, opposite China's Ruili has been getting to an all-time low, where the only people that remain unruffled are gambling and drug operators, report Hawkeye from the border: Yan Yan, one of the big hotels in Hokard, the busiest neighborhood in Muse, 110 miles north of Lashio, that used to boast its number of patrons by the hundreds, has only about a dozen visitors each day. The Lashio Restaurant used to buy 10 viss (1 viss=1.6 kg) of pork each day to feed its customers, but now it buys only 3 viss. Many other food shops as a result are closed. The taxi drivers used to earn more than 10,000 kyat ($ 10) each day, but since New Year their income has been going gradually down. "We consider it a lucky day if we get 2,000 kyat," said one driver. "Some days, it doesn't even come to 1,000 kyat." The reason, they said, is there are so few traders coming to town. The traders meanwhile, complain about the continued free fall of the kyat value against the yuan. (continued)

Source: Shanland/29 September 2005/ http://www.shanland.org/articles/drugs/2005/There-is-no-business-like-drugs-in-Muse

Drug Mules ut to Death n Shaanxi (sic)

Source: Shanghai Daily/30 September 2005/ http://www.shanghaidaily.com/art/2005/09/30/193846/Drug_mules_ut_to_death_n_Shaanxi.htm

Wa Business Firm Signs Removed

All the way from Kengtung, 160 km away, to Tachilek, just across the border from Thailand's Maesai, the United Wa State Army's Hongpang Group signs are no longer seen, according to travelers from Kengtung. This was confirmed by a source close to the Army... DrugsWa business firm signs removedAll the way from Kengtung, 160 km away, to Tachilek, just across the border from Thailand's Maesai, the United Wa State Army's Hongpang Group signs are no longer seen, according to travelers from Kengtung. This was confirmed by a source close to the Army, who said the order to pull down the signs was issued on 18 September, more than a week after a drug convoy escorted by the UWSA was seized by the Burma in Mongpiang, 100 km west of Kengtung. "The UWSA's efforts to secure the release of its men came to nought," he said. "Ta Parn (Commander of the UWSA's 2528th Independent Regiment) and his men were seen being escorted to the airfield under tight security on 23 September. I was told they would be flown to Mandalay." Also the Wa vehicles, once considered untouchable, are now being stopped and searched by authorities at various checkpoints. According to Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, Deputy Senior General Maung Aye had promised, during his 4-day visit to Thailand, 22-26 April 2002, the Hongpang would cease to exist within 2 weeks of his return to Burma. (continued)

Source: Shanland/2 October 2005/

http://www.shanland.org/articles/drugs/2005/Wa-business-firm-signs-removed

Thailand-Bound Heroin Seized

Burmese soldiers have seized nearly half-a-tonne of heroin en route to Thailand and captured 70 armed guerrillas guarding the consignment near the north-eastern Burmese town of Kengtung three weeks ago, according to western diplomats in Rangoon and Thai anti-narcotics officials. The drugs were being transported from the northern Wa base near the Chinese border for distribution in Thailand by Chinese criminal gangs. It is Burma's biggest-ever drug seizure. There was a two-hour Mexican stand-off close to Kengtung before the drug traffickers eventually surrendered to the Burmese troops. The armed guards were all soldiers wearing uniforms of the United Wa State Army, an ethnic rebel group who has signed a cease-fire agreement with Rangoon. The Burmese authorities were tipped off by Chinese intelligence officials, according to Burmese military sources. Among those detained was the chief trafficker, Ik Pin, a young Wa drug dealer. He is currently in detention. But the real ringleader was an infamous Chinese criminal who has been running drugs from Burma into China and Thailand for some time. The Chinese authorities have been seeking him for years and there are several outstanding arrest warrants. He was waiting in Kengtung to take control of the drugs, but fled to Laos when he realised they had been intercepted. He was arrested within hours and handed over to the Burmese authorities, according to Thai anti-narcotic agents. Burma plans to hand him over to the Chinese authorities, who have asked for his extradition, to face trial in China, according to western anti-narcotic officials. (continued)

Source: Bangkok Post/4 October 2005/ http://www.bangkokpost.com/News/04Oct2005_news21.php

Drug Stained Group Gets Credit With Thailand

The Karen splinter group, long considered a drug smuggling organization in Thailand, handed over one of the most wanted criminals taking refuge in Burma back to Thailand on 2 October, reported Bangkok-based Khom Chad Luek daily yesterday. The Karen splinter group, long considered a drug smuggling organization in Thailand, handed over one of the most wanted criminals taking refuge in Burma back to Thailand on 2 October, reported Bangkok-based Khom Chad Luek daily yesterday. A former non-commissioned officer from the Thai army, Sgt Chainarong Busrakhtam "Muek", 45, of Maesod, who has for 3-4 years been living in Myawaddy, was delivered to the Maesod-based 4th Infantry Regiment by Maj San Pyo, Commander of the Democratic Karen Buddhist Army (DKBA)'s anti-narcotics unit. "From now on, we will cooperate fully with Thailand," he promised. Chainarong has been on the 5th most wanted list of Police Region 6 over several charges, including drug trafficking, robbery and importing illegal migrant laborers. Several drug consignments seized by the Thai army in the past have been traced to the DKBA that had broken away from the main Karen opposition movement Karen National Union (KNU) in 1995. Its switch of allegiance to the Burma Army had contributed to the fall of the KNU's stronghold Manerplaw.

Source: Shanland/4 October 2005/

http://www.shanland.org/articles/drugs/2005/Drug-stained-group-gets-credit-with-Thailand

Philippines

19 Arrested In Drug Raid Freed

BECAUSE of technicalities, 19 persons arrested by Task Force 24 hours in an illegal drugs raid in Barangay Looc Friday afternoon walked out of detention at the city police on order of the City Prosecutor's Office Saturday. In her release order dated September 24, 2nd Assistant City Prosecutor Edna Villamil said the arresting officers had not submitted the required documents. Villamil said the same officers failed to submit copies of the sketch plan, affidavit of witnesses, application of the search warrant, and transcript of stenographic notes. In a press conference in his office Tuesday, Mayor Perdices said the public wanted to know why the prosecutor's office did not conduct a full-blown inquest proceeding, but instead, released the suspects early September 25 morning. Perdices said he would look into the matter further. Task force 24 agents raided the house of Praxedes Academia around 4 p.m. Friday through a search warrant issued by Regional Trial Court Executive Judge Victor Patrimonio and found the suspects inside different rooms of the house. The raiding team recovered only a packet of what is believed to be shabu from only one of the nine rooms of the house. Among those arrested were seven women, two of whom were minors, an alleged civilian asset of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), a former policeman, and several government employees. (continued)

Source: Sun Star/Adrian Sedillo and Syril G. Repe/29 September 2005/ http://www.sunstar.com.ph/static/dum/2005/09/29/news/19.arrested.in.drug.raid.freed.html

Anti-Drug Agents Back In Office, Chief Says

THE regional director of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) 10 confirmed on Wednesday that his two agents suspected of extortion have gone back to the PDEA office despite assurances to the City Council that he will no longer allow their return. "They are under my control and they are not allowed to operate," said Superintendent Rene Orbe, PDEA 10 regional director, on the return of police officers Isah Taurac and Cotta Tanggote to the agency after 15 days of suspension. Taurac and Tanggote were tagged in an extortion case last August 21 by Moreto Jabagat, brother of drug suspect Eric Jabagat who was nabbed for illegal drug possession early on that day. Jabagat alleged that the two policemen conspired to intimidate him to release an amount of P50,000 for his brother's case downgrading. The two PDEA 10 agents supposedly threatened to elevate his brother's case from possession of illegal drugs to selling illegal drugs. An entrapment operation followed on August 22 but it failed for unclear reasons, triggering the City Council inquiry on the matter. The City Council also grilled Orbe on the P20,000 he issued to Jabagat despite his insistence that no money changed hands between the brother's suspects and Taurac. In justifying Taurac and Tanggote's return, Orbe said no case has yet been filed against the two in relation to the August 21 and 22 incidents. This was contrary to his earlier statements before the City Council. (continued)

Source: Sun Star/Danilo V. Adorador III/29 September 2005/ http://www.sunstar.com.ph/static/cag/2005/09/29/news/anti.drug.agents.back.in.office.chief.says.html

Buy-Bust Pins Down Drug Suspect; Another Flees

A 37-YEAR-OLD man was arrested while another escaped in two separate anti-drug operations of the San Fernando City police in Barangays Maimpis and Sta. Lucia in the city. Superintendent Nicanor S. Targa, chief of San Fernando City, identified the suspect as Eduardo A. Gonzales Jr. alias Pogi who was collared in Barangay Maimpis last Monday. Targa said the arrest was made while the suspect was selling suspected shabu to an undercover policeman in exchange for a P500 marked money. Recovered from Gonzales were the .0666 grams of the illegal drug, six pieces of heat-sealed plastic sachets, cash money and a cellular phone. Another suspected drug pusher, identified as Darwin de Leon, was able to elude police arrest last Sunday in Barangay Sta. Lucia. Sensing the presence of policemen, de Leon immediately sped away after selling two small transparent sachets of shabu weighing 0.0590 and 0.0190 grams to a police asset. Members of the arresting team said the suspect fired at them before he ran towards the house of his sister-in-law. The suspect purportedly used a secret door at the second floor of the house where he jumped into the river. "We could not fire back because there were children on the way," the policemen said. Eight live ammunitions of caliber .45 pistol supposedly dropped by de Leon, an unregistered moped and four sachets of shabu worth P48,000 were recovered.

Source: Sun Star/29 September 2005/ http://www.sunstar.com.ph/static/pam/2005/09/29/news/buy.bust.pins.down.drug.suspect.another.flees.html

Drug Lab Operator Falls

An alleged operator of a "shabu" processing laboratory was arrested yesterday morning at his house in Opol town, Misamis Oriental by joint operatives of Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency Region 10 (PDEA-10) and the Cagayan de Oro City Police Office (COCPO). Juan B. Tan, 56, did not resist arrest as police surrounded his house at Block 10, Lot 7, Youngsville Subd., Barangay Igpit, Opol, at around 11 a.m. Superintendent Rene Orbe, PDEA-10 chief, said Tan has been wanted since his team, along with PDEA-11 operatives, uncovered the operation of a shabu laboratory in Barangay Gusa, this city, last July. Tan's arrest was effected on the strength of a warrant issued by Regional Trial Court (RTC) 10 Branch 25 Judge Noli T. Catli against the “John Doe” operators of the so-called “Gusa shabu laboratory.” Orbe said some John Does at large were already identified as Johnson Chua aka Greg Sia and Tsui Ngai Wai. Senior Supt. Honorio Cervantes, city police director, said Tan has also been linked to other personalities arrested earlier in Misamis Oriental and Davao City. Tan was immediately brought to the office of Cagayan City Mayor Vicente Y. Emano who lauded the efforts of arresting team members Senior Insp. Jason M. Aguillon, SPO2 Rico B. Justalero, SPO1 Francisco A. Dayandayan, Jr., SPO1 Noel G. Oclarit, PO2 Don Levi V. Serina, PO2 Ranillo Arnado, PO2 Bernaby E. Ave, PO3 Danilo Radam, PO3 Benjie Reycitez, PO2 Iraz Zari and a special operative of the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency (NICA) in Region 10.

Source: Tempo/GERRY L. GORIT/29 September 2005/ http://www.tempo.com.ph/news.php?aid=16642

P1.2-M Illegal Drugs Seized

Government operatives arrested four alleged big-time drug pushers and confiscated P1,226,100 worth of illegal drugs Monday in two anti-illegal drug operations in Tabuk, Kalinga. In his report, Senior Superintendent Marvin Bolabola, regional chief of the 14th Criminal Investigation and Detection Group in the Cordillera Administrative Region, said that combined police and military units intercepted 60 bricks of dried marijuana weighing 42,000 grams, with value of P1,050,000, at a checkpoint in Sitio Mataddong, Bantay, Tabuk, Kalinga. Authorities confiscated the narcotics from Johnny Pullis y Macayba, 27, and Osias Tuppay Innog, 21, both natives of Butbut, Tinglayan, Kalinga. Bolabola said that members of the Kalinga Police Provincial Office, Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency-Cordillera Administrative Region, Criminal Investigation and Detection Group-Kalinga and the 21st Infantry Battalion of the Philippine Army brought the suspects and their contraband to the Kalinga police office. The authorities impounded a utility vehicle used in transporting the illegal drugs. Charges for violation of Section 5 of Republic Act 9165, the Illegal Possession and Transport of Illegal Drugs, will be filed against the suspects. The police also arrested Agustin Mendoza Jr. and his wife at their house on Dangwa Street, Bulanao, Tabuk, Kalinga, for possessing 650 grams of marijuana, valued at P162,500, and 6.8 grams of methamphetamine hydrochloride (shabu) worth P13,600. The operatives seized illegal-drug paraphernalia at the couple’s house. Mendoza was a former member of the defunct Philippine Constabulary. (continued)

Source: ABS-CBN News/THOMAS F. PICAÑA/28 September 2005/

http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/storypage.aspx?StoryId=17644

A Minor Trial? Not to Filipinos

A drug possession case features a name that many in her homeland, and among L.A.'s immigrants, adore. She's an actress now in a sobering role. The People vs. Nora Cabaltera Villamayor, a small drug possession case being heard in a branch courthouse near LAX, has received little attention in the U.S. news media. But in the Philippines, the coverage has been so extensive, and at times breathless, that it rivals the U.S. fixation on Michael Jackson and Martha Stewart. For her first court date recently, a crowd including journalists from Manila and fans who flew in from across the United States swarmed the petite 53-year-old star of stage and screen. A puzzled Associated Press photographer turned to a Los Angeles correspondent for the Philippine Daily Inquirer covering the arraignment and asked, "Is she as big as Sophia Loren is in Italy?" "Way bigger," the reporter replied. Villamayor is anonymous in the United States, except among Filipinos, to whom she is better known by her stage name, Nora Aunor. On March 30, authorities say, a federal baggage screener at Los Angeles International Airport reached into her black duffel carry-on and pulled out a glass pipe and 6.69 grams of methamphetamine inside a knotted-up baggy concealed in a sock. At the time, authorities didn't know of her celebrity, said Deputy Dist. Atty. Marguerite Rizzo. But at home, and among Southern California's huge population of Filipino immigrants, Aunor is called simply "the Superstar." Presidential candidates have been known to call her seeking an endorsement. (continued)

Source: KTLA/Los Angeles Times/Jia-Rui Chong/29 September 2005/ http://ktla.trb.com/news/local/la-me-star29sep29,0,5744043.story?coll=ktla-news-1

Not In The Loop?

BACK on line but not on duty. This was more or less the explanation of Regional Director Supt. Rene Orbe of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) 10 for the return of controversial agents PO2 Isah Taurac and PO1 Cotta Tanggote to their fold. Orbe may be in the mood for playing with semantics after he received an award as part of the Ten Most Outstanding Iliganons (TOIL) though he insisted that the award was given following a three-month evaluation of their performance, which included the drug raid on a shabu laboratory. The award also comes on the heels of last Tuesday's arrest of a Filipino-Chinese trader with links to the Taiwanese nationals who in turn are prime suspects in the shabu labs uncovered in Cagayan de Oro and Opol town, Misamis Oriental. Amid these developments Taurac and Tanggote are back in the PDEA-10 regional office though what they're doing there is anyone's guess. As Orbe said they're not in the loop, i.e. they won't engage in any operation. At the most they're getting paid without doing anything perhaps other than pushing paper since Orbe didn't specify what their tasks were. Also just because they're not engaged in an operation doesn't stop them from perhaps indulging in some monkey business. The two are still accused of allegedly trying to extort P50,000 from drug suspect Eric Jabagat. And according to a little bird, Taurac allegedly made the motion of pulling out his gun at one police officer who tried to arrest him. (continued)

Source: Sun Star/30 September 2005/ http://www.sunstar.com.ph/static/cag/2005/09/30/oped/editorial.html

12 Calabarzon Cops Positive For Illegal Drugs

The Calabarzon police command is preparing administrative charges against 12 policemen who tested positive for illegal drugs during surprise drug tests recently. Chief Supt. Jesus Verzosa, Calabarzon regional director said, identified eight of the 12 policemen as SPO1 Nelson Lunar, PO3 Eddie Bataller and PO1 Regimel Regidor, all assigned to the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency’s Region 4 office; SPO1 Wilfredo Patag, of the Cainta, Rizal police; PO2 Ronald Piñon, of the Antipolo City police; PO2 Mark Anthony Caranay and PO1 Rommel Gatapalam, both detailed in Taytay, Rizal; and PO1 Siegmund Jael, of the Regional Headquarters Support Group. Verzosa said all 12 policemen will be immediately relieved from their posts. He said the Scene of the Crime Operations (SOCO), headed by Superintendent Ligaya Cabal, conducted random drug tests among the personnel of the regional police command as well as the Criminal Investigation and Detection and Traffic Management Groups last August. Based on the Cabal’s report, the 12 policemen, out of the 7,016 tested, were found positive for methamphetamine. Verzosa said he has ordered the 12 to appear in the regional headquarters for dismissal proceedings.

Source: The Philippine Star/1 October 2005/ http://www.philstar.com/philstar/NEWS200510019907.htm

Bacolod PNP Nabs 12 For Shabu

The Bacolod City Police Office (BCPO) has nabbed 12 persons last month, August, for either pushing or possessing the prohibited drugs - shabu. Records from the BCPO showed that the 12 persons apprehended was a result of 12 raids conducted by the PNP resulting to the confiscation of 9.48 grams of shabu with a market value of P28,350. Along with shabu is the confiscation of .90 grams of marijuana with a market value of P2700. BCPO's biggest catch so far was made in the month of June wherein 68.9 grams of shabu was seized valued at P246,060. Twenty persons were apprehended as a result of the series of raids that saw the confiscation of 9.12 grams of marijuana with a market value of P27,360. Last May, P211,530 worth of shabu was seized by the PNP resulting to the arrest of 13 persons and in July 68.81 grams of the same prohibited drugs was confiscated valued at P206,430. The local police office here is expected to sustain their efforts running after drug dealers with the upcoming national event Masskara festival. The city experiences the highest volume of drugs sneaked into the city months before the month-long festivity.

Source: PIA Information Service/30 September 2005/ http://www.pia.gov.ph/news.asp?fi=p050930.htm&no=34

Only Locals Involved In City's Illegal Drug Trade: Cop Chief

City chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP) Inspector Manuel Hidalgo assured that outsiders were not directly involved in the local illegal drug trade in the city. Hidalgo made this assurance following concerns raised by residents in reaction to the arrest of two people from Cebu and Iligan in the town of Ayungon some two weeks ago. The arrested suspects were Narciso Lumapak of Talamban, Cebu and Patricia Cabrellos, a native of Ayungon but residing in Iligan City. Hidalgo said he has not received intelligence reports pointing to outsiders as directly involved in the illegal trafficking of drugs in Dumaguete City. Quoting the same reports, Hidalgo said the players skirt the city and ply their trade elsewhere. The police chief said any new illegal drug trafficker could be easily monitored because authorities already know the people involved in the illegal trade. Meanwhile, with the success of Task Force 24 hours in the fight against illegal drugs, Governor George Arnaiz planned to introduce the operation to the four provinces of Central Visayas. Arnaiz said he would present his plan at the regular meeting next month of the Regional Peace and Order Council (RPOC) in Cebu City. Government regional directors and law enforcers throughout Central Visayas would undergo a seminar in Cebu City on October 5-7 to orient themselves on the operation of Task Force 24.

Source: Sun Star/Adrian Sedillo and Maricar Aranas/3 October 2005/ http://www.sunstar.com.ph/static/dum/2005/10/03/news/only.locals.involved.in.city.s.illegal.drug.trade.cop.chief.html

Scarcity Raises Shabu Prices

The price of the illegal drug methamphetamine hydrochloride (shabu) has increased due to its low supply in the region, said Superintendent June Jamolo, Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency regional director. Jamolo said the drug-abuse problem in the region is now manageable, due to the scarcity of the prohibited drug. He said the price of shabu has gone up, from P3,500 to P5,000 a gram. However, notwithstanding the scarcity of the illegal drug, the agency is pursuing its antidrug operation because shabu remains a common drug used by addicts in the city, Jamolo said. Marijuana is also available in some parts of Zamboanga del Sur and Zamboanga del Norte. He said the low supply of shabu has reduced the problem in the city, but his team is still focusing on "hot spot" barangays to capture well-known drug pushers in these communities. The agency is taking precautionary measures to prevent the establishment of a shabu laboratory in Western Mindanao.

Source: ABS-CBN News/3 October 2005/

http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/storypage.aspx?StoryId=17993

Nora Aunor's Drug Trial In La Set Dec 16

The Los Angeles trial of movie star Nora Aunor, arrested on March 30 on drug possession charges, has been set for Dec. 16. At the pre-trial hearing Friday, Aunor’s lawyer Sherwin Edelberg requested a continuance of the proceedings to Nov. 10. He plans to file a motion to suppress statements the actress may have made to police who questioned her without reading her the Miranda rights and without a Filipino interpreter present. "If the motion to suppress is granted, then I will make a motion to dismiss the case," Edelberg told The STAR in a telephone interview. Asked why he did not file a motion to suppress, which would have normally been done at Friday’s hearing, Edelberg said "this is not a normal case and I can’t treat it as a normal case given who she is. The complexity of a certain aspect of the case is going to take more time." He did not elaborate. Edelberg asked that the pre-trial hearing be continued on Nov. 10 because "it suited my calendar and my client’s calendar." Aunor, Nora Cabaltera Villamayor in real life, has been charged with possessing 7.7 grams of shabu in her carry-on bag when she was arrested at the Los Angeles International Airport on her way back to her San Francisco Bay area home after a business trip. She has denied the charge and is out on a $10,000 bail bond. (continued)

Source: Philippine Headline News/Jose Katigbak/4 October 2005/ http://www.newsflash.org/2004/02/hl/hl102939.htm

Parañaque Cops Bust ‘Fishy’ Drug Trade

To conceal their illegal operation, a group of drug peddlers in Parañaque have been inserting shabu sachets inside the fish they sell to the public. The Parañaque police discovered the group’s modus operandi following the arrest of several suspected drug pushers and users in the city yesterday. Arrested were Josefina de Leon, 40, a fish vendor and resident of Barangay Don Galo, Parañaque; Marlon Melleno, 35, of Barangay Don Galo, Parañaque; Manuel Salanatin, 26, of Barangay Moonwalk, Parañaque; Dominador Seguin, 45, of Barangay Don Galo, Parañaque; and Rodolfo Ilustre, 25, of Barangay Moonwalk, Parañaque. Superintendent Ronald Estilles, Parañaque police chief, said De Leon, the alleged leader of the group, came up with the idea of selling shabu stuffed inside the fish. The group was apprehended by police inside De Leon’s house last Monday afternoon. Confiscated from the suspects were shabu worth an estimated P15,000 and drug paraphernalia. Estilles said De Leon and her companions have long been under surveillance after an asset informed them of the group’s illegal activities. Meanwhile, Parañaque police operatives apprehended another group of suspected drug pushers and users in Barangay Sto.Nino. The suspects were identified as Jericho Villanueva, 17, of Bacoor Cavite; Lloyd Ferrer, 30, of Barangay Don Galo, Parañaque; and Candy Villanueva, 29, of Barangay Don Galo, Parañaque. The police recovered marijuana and shabu worth an estimated P20,000 and drug paraphernalia from the group.

Source: The Philippine Star/Rhodina Villanueva/5 October 2005/ http://www.philstar.com/philstar/NEWS200510056307.htm

2 American Anti-Drug Agents Are Drug-Lord Coddlers

Corpus ties them to Ping. President Arroyo is moving for the recall or even dismissal of two American anti-drug agents in the Philippines described by Col. Victor Corpus, chief of the AFP Intelligence Service, as drug lord coddlers through their association with Sen. Panfilo Lacson. Malacañang insiders told Malaya that Corpus prodded the President to initiate the move after Lacson was invited to dinner last week by anti-drug agents assigned to the Philippines by several foreign countries. These agents meet regularly to assess the drug situation. Obviously, Corpus interpreted the dinner of foreign agents with Lacson as a sign that they are protecting the senator, who Corpus has always claimed is a drug trafficker. Corpus has not, in the more than two years since he made the accusation, submitted any evidence to prove his charges. On Saturday, June 28, a few days after the dinner meeting, Corpus went to Malacañang with officials of the PNP and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency to brief the President on the drug problem. It was in that meeting that Corpus is said to have prodded the President to demand the recall of Mark Connel, drug attaché in the US embassy, and Daniel Cruz, a Filipino-American working for the US DEA with Connel. Strangely, Corpus did not suggest to the President the recall or dismissal of four other police or drug agents from other embassies who attended that dinner meeting with Lacson. (continued)

Source: Philippines Headline News/AMADO P. MACASAET/4 October 2005/ http://www.newsflash.org/2003/05/hl/hl018312.htm

Thailand

Frenchman Arrested

Crime Suppression Division police arrested a 50-year-old French man allegedly for tax evasion right after he was freed after serving a drug-related term at Lat Yao Prison in Chatuchak Tuesday night. Dominique Andre Louis Poirey, 50, was jailed in early August for having cocaine. His six-month jail term was suspended for two years but he was jailed for being unable to pay a fine of 10,000 baht. Released about 8.30pm on Tuesday, CSD police rearrested him right in front of the prison, as he is wanted in France for allegedly evading taxes worth about 400 million baht.

Source: Bangkok Post/29 September 2005/ http://www.bangkokpost.com/News/29Sep2005_news091.php

Thailand-Bound Heroin Seized

Source: Bangkok Post/4 October 2005/ http://www.bangkokpost.com/News/04Oct2005_news21.php

Gambling Tops August Arrests Statistics

Statistics released by Phuket Provincial Police show that gambling once again topped the crime table, with 149 people arrested in August for the offense. Thirty-four cases involved the sale of illegal underground lottery tickets. Eight murders were reported during the month with four cases solved, resulting in the arrests of six people. There were six cases of attempted murder with no arrests. These cases are still under investigation. There were 27 reports of theft, with two people charged with snatch-and-run crimes. Two cases of rape were reported, with one person arrested. One case is still under investigation. Sixty-seven people were arrested for the illegal possession of controlled substances. Forty-one were charged with the possession of a total of 3,057 ya bah (methamphetamine) tablets. Of the remaining drug arrests, 10 were for marijuana possession, three for heroin possession and one for krathom (an indigenous Thai plant that acts as a stimulant ) possession. Twelve people were also arrested for substance abuse. Fifty-two people were arrested for offenses related to prostitution. Four motorcycles were stolen, with two people subsequently charged. No cars were reported stolen.

Source: Phuket Gazette/3 October 2005/ http://www.phuketgazette.net/news/index.asp?id=4558

Lamphun Prison Deaths: Pornthip Refuses To Rule Out Murder

Calls on police to keep an open mind in ‘suicide’ of three inmates found hanged by their shoelaces. Central Institute of Forensic Science director Khunying Pornthip Rojanasunan yesterday urged police not to rule out the possibility that three drug suspects who died in police custody were murdered. The three suspects, arrested on Sunday for possession of methamphetamine pills, were found hanging by their shoelaces from an overhead bar in a detention cell at Muang Lamphun police station on Monday. They had allegedly been working for narcotics warlord Wei Hsuehkang – a commander in the Burmese United Wa State Army who is a fugitive convicted drug trafficker sought by both Thai and US authorities. Pornthip yesterday said the possibility the three men in detention had been killed, with their murders staged as suicides, could not be ruled out. She said the three alleged suicides had apparently been found with their feet dangling in the air with no object beneath to support them before they hung themselves. “We’ll have to check if the shoelaces are long enough to have been tied around the three men’s necks from the overhead bar while they were standing on the floor,” she explained. Pornthip, who was promoted by the Cabinet yesterday to the forensic institute’s directorship from deputy director, said autopsies would provide further information about the circumstances of the men’s deaths. Deputy Prime Minister and Justice Minister Chidchai Vanasatidya said he had already ordered a team of investigators to look into the deaths of the three men. (continued)

Source: The Nation/5 October 2005/ http://nationmultimedia.com/2005/10/05/national/index.php?news=national_18788840.html

Probe Ordered Into Death Of Karen Suspects

Police Region 5 commander Lt-Gen Panupong Singhara na Ayutthaya has ordered an inquiry into the death of three Karen drug suspects in their detention cell at the Muang Lamphun district police station. The three suspects were found hanging from the top bar of the cell door. Police said they used their own shoelaces to hang themselves. Pale-kwam or Pao Chobhatthakam, 24, Pachansuk or Paen Ornjong, 19, and Boonchu Sujipat, 22, all from Chiang Mai's Om Koi district, were arrested on Sunday along with Charnrit Palameesak, 23, a Lamphun native, while allegedly delivering 1,700 metamphetamine pills to police posing as buyers at a garage on Lamphun-Pa Sang road. Police said the three Karens admitted to being members of a drug racket run by drug warlord Wei Hsueh Kang, but Mr Charnrit denied any involvement. Police also said the Karens had asked the officers who arrested them to shoot them, saying they feared the drug gang would hunt them down after they regained freedom. The four suspects were locked up in the same cell. The three Karens were found dead around 4am yesterday. Police at the station said there was no evidence they had been attacked. Pol Lt-Gen Panupong said the Karen suspects probably decided to kill themselves to avoid legal punishment or out of fear that they would be hunted down by other drug dealers still at large. (continued)

Source: Bangkok Post/CHEEWIN SATTHA/4 October 2005/ http://www.bangkokpost.com/News/04Oct2005_news04.php

Suspects `Killed Themselves'

Police boss: Feared jail or execution for drugs Police Region 5 commander Pol Lt-Gen Panupong Singhara na Ayutthaya yesterday insisted that the three Karen suspects found hanged by their shoelaces in their jail cell had committed suicide on Sunday night after being arrested for drug trafficking. An examination of the cell at the Muang Lamphun district police station found no traces of violence or attacks, he said. However, he added that the police were waiting for autopsies to be conducted by Maharaj Nakorn Chiang Mai Hospital, the results of which should be sent to the investigators within four days. A group of detectives has been dispatched to tambon Nakian in Om Koi district of Chiang Mai where the three Karen suspects lived to check on their backgrounds. The inspectors will take some time to finish their investigation as poor access to the Karen suspects' village forced them to walk to the locality, Pol Lt-Gen Panupong said. Pale-kwam or Pao Chobhatthakam, 24, Pachansuk or Paen Ornjong, 19, and Boonchu Sujipat, 22, were found dead, hanging from their shoelaces that had been tied to the top bar of their cell early on Monday morning. They had been arrested on Sunday along with Charnrit Palameesak, 23, a Lamphun native, while allegedly delivering 1,700 methamphetamine pills to police posing as buyers at a garage on Lamphun-Pa Sang Road. Pol Lt-Gen Panupong was insistent yesterday the dead men might have feared punishment for drug offences which could have been either been life imprisonment or execution. (continued)

Source: Bangkok Post/CHEEWIN SATTHA/5 October 2005/ http://www.bangkokpost.com/News/05Oct2005_news15.php

Vietnam

1,200 Drug Addicts Escape From Rehab Centre

Police in southern Ho Chi Minh City are still searching for nearly 500 drug addicts from two groups of nearly 1,200 who escaped from a rehabilitation centre, police said today. The incident occurred on Sunday night when there was a fight between two groups of inmates; 798 inmates took advantage of the chaos to overpower security guards at the centre in Pham Van Coi village, said a village police officer. Last night, another 384 inmates escaped from the centre, he said adding that police had recaptured 698 of them while 484 were still on the run. Some 400 police have been dispatched to take control of the centre. Checkpoints manned by police have been set up throughout 21 villages in Cu Chi District to hunt for the inmates, he said. The centre housed about 1,500 drug addicts from Ho Chi Minh City and some neighbouring provinces.

Source: Ireland Online/4 October 2005/ http://breakingnews.iol.ie/news/story.asp?j=157963264&p=y5796397x