China's State Councilor and Minister of Public Security Zhou Yongkang on Thursday called for reinforced anti-drug efforts to strengthen achievements in fighting heroin and curbing the spread of new types of drugs such as ecstasy and "ice". "Effective measures should be taken to prevent poisonous chemicals, clinic narcotics and mental illness drugs from flowing into illegal channels," said Zhou, also director of China's National Narcotics Control Commission. Local governments have effectively eliminated a great number of heroin sources and greatly reduced the number of drug takers, Zhou said. Police data showed that the number of drug takers in China grew35 percent since 2000 to hit 1.16 million in early 2005. The number dropped to 720,400 in August of 2006 as a result of compulsory rehabilitation measures and strict checks on chemicals and narcotics, according to the Ministry of Public Security.

Source: Huliq / 15 June 2007 /

http://www.huliq.com/24774/china-to-intensify-drug-war

Ketamine Abusers Up 36.9%

Although the number of drug abusers remained steady at 4,649 in the first quarter of this year, ketamine abusers rose 36.9% to 1,184, the Action Committee Against Narcotics says. At its quarterly meeting today, the committee said 64.6% of the ketamine abusers were aged under 21. Although the number of drug abusers aged 21 and over was 3.2% lower, the number of young drug abusers under 21 was 10.1% higher than that for the same period of 2006. Heroin remained the most popular type of drugs abused. The total number of abusers was 9.5% lower than that of the same period of 2006. The number of ecstasy abusers fell 48.5% to 331. Drug abuse in schools. Committee members expressed serious concern over the recent case of students suspected of abusing drugs in school. They noted that the liaison between schools and the Police will be strengthened. Training for teachers and social workers on how to identify and deal with drug problems in school will be enhanced. Parents will also be engaged to play an active role in drug prevention, and publicity targeting the youth will be intensified. Commissioner for Narcotics Sally Wong said a series of activities to spread anti-drug messages will be rolled out during the summer holidays. An anti-drug mobile phone game will be launched mid-July and a new drug education kit will be introduced in schools. The kit is designed for use by Primary 4, 5 and 6 for the curriculum of General Studies, and Secondary School Forms one to three for the curriculum of Liberal Studies. A parent seminar will be held on June 23 to equip parents with basic drug knowledge, as well as skills to handle drug-related problems.

Source: News.Gov.HK / 15 June 2007 / http://www.news.gov.hk/en/category/lawandorder/html/4dd5a0a8-85aa-4175-92ae-d7d3936e87b3.htm

Yunnan Tightens Control On Drug-Production Chemicals

Local authorities in southwest China's Yunnan Province are tightening control on chemicals that can be used for drug production. Qujing is one of the biggest industrial chemical production bases in the province. The authorities there say none of the city's chemicals have gone into illegal narcotics production for the past half-decade. Yunnan Province is on the frontier of China's battle against drugs. Most foreign-made drugs have to pass through here to enter the country. In the city of Qujing, the police cannot be cautious enough. Criminals may use many kinds of unexpected methods when trafficking drugs. Earlier this year, police found nearly 2 kilograms of crystal meth hidden in walnuts. UN reports show that crystal meth and Ecstasy are now taking the places of traditional drugs like heroin and opium. In 2005 alone, China confiscated nearly 6 tones of Crystal Meth. The production of these drugs don't require large fields or human power. They can be made by easily accessible chemicals like Toluene and Ephedrine. Qujing is the provincial industrial base for such chemicals' production. Authorities say strict regulation is the only option. Chai Jiaping, vice-director Qujing anti-drug committee, said, "All the chemical factories here must register with us. We also cooperate with local police to monitor the use of chemicals. Over the past 5 years, no drugs confiscated by us have been made from Qujing materials." Now, 29 chemicals are strictly controlled by Yunnan's provincial regulations. This exceeds the UN's list by 7 chemicals. Yunnan has a long border with Myanmar, Thailand and Laos and is close to the Golden Triangle- one of the world's 3 biggest drug sources. The Chinese government has been fighting a fierce struggle against drugs there for many years.

Source: CCTV / 15 June 2007 /

http://www.cctv.com/english/20070615/106115.shtml

Indonesia

Drug Trade An Easy Trap For Street Children

They live with no roofs over their heads and no parents to look after them. They have to deal with the toughest experiences the streets have to offer. And above all that, street children are also prone to exploitation as drug traffickers, recent research has revealed. Some 16 percent of street children in Greater Jakarta are or have been involved in drug trafficking, a study by the International Labor Organization (ILO) says. The study of 255 street children in East, West and South Jakarta found 40 admitted acting as drug traffickers. "Most of them are purely exploited in the illegal trade," ILO's program officer for child drug trafficking, Dede Saraswati, said recently. According to the ILO report, children as young as 13 are engaged in Jakarta's drugs trade, while around four percent of all drug users are aged under 17. The latest report and earlier research show there are at least four ways in which children enter the drug trade. According to Tarumanagara University psychologist Irwanto, drug use and addiction is one path for children to become drug dealers. Orphans or runaways in need of money are also susceptible to falling into the drug trade, as are children closely related to drug users or traffickers or those linked to drug dealers at a very young age. Peer pressure and the exploitation of children's naivete were cited as the third and fourth factors pushing children into the trade. (Continued)

Source: The Jakarta Post / 13 June 2007 / http://www.thejakartapost.com/detailcity.asp?fileid=20070613.C04&irec=3

Brother Of Famous British Chef Goes On Trial On Heroin Possession Charges

British chef Gordon Ramsay's younger brother went on trial for heroin possession Thursday - a charge that faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, court officials said. Ronald Ramsay, 39, sat quietly as prosecutors told the Denpasar District Court that police who searched him outside a supermarket on Indonesia's resort island of Bali in February found 100 milligrams of the drug in his pocket. "The defendant had the heroin inside a red Marlboro packet," Agung Kusumayasa Ciputra said in reading out three pages of charges. Under Indonesia's tough drug laws Ramsay could face a maximum 10-year jail sentence. Traffickers are routinely sentenced to death. At the end of 2006, 134 people were on death row, including 37 foreigners and 97 Indonesians, most of them for drug-related crimes.

Source: The Jakarta Post / 14 June 2007 / http://www.thejakartapost.com/detailgeneral.asp?fileid=20070614151218&irec=8

Officials Burn Heroin

The 8.2kg of heroin that put nine young Australians behind bars and six of them on death row in Indonesia went up in flames in Bali. Indonesian police also torched the Australians' personal belongings and luggage. With the official appeals of all nine now over, pending judicial reviews, prosecutors were entitled to destroy all evidence associated with the case, along with evidence in 92 other criminal cases now finalised on the holiday island. The heroin and its strappings and tape and other drug paraphernalia were loaded into drums and petrol was poured over them before a ceremonial lighting of the flames by Bali legal and government officials. The Bali Nine were arrested in April 2005 and their luggage still had the Sydney-bound tags attached when it was burnt. The four couriers – Scott Rush, Michael Czugaj, Renae Lawrence and Martin Stephens – were arrested at Bali airport as they were about to board their flight with the drugs strapped to their bodies. Also arrested at the airport was ringleader Andrew Chan. Inside the luggage destroyed yesterday were souvenirs the group planned to bring home with them – hundreds of pirated DVDs which are readily available on the streets of Bali for a few dollars. Also destroyed were seven mobile phones – used so that members of the syndicate could keep in contact with each other during the planning of their drug run. (Continued)

Source: The Courier Mail / 15 June 2007 / http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,23739,21913693-953,00.html

Police Find Drugs In Boarding Houses

The tenants of several Central Jakarta boarding houses were surprised early Friday by raids by police and officers from provincial and national narcotics bodies. The officers found 23 packages of heroin, 1.5 kilograms and separate 13 packages of marijuana, half a gram of crystal methamphetamine as well as psychotropic pills. At least 37 people, three of them women, were arrested, news website Detik.com reported. The simultaneous raids along Jl. Menteng Tenggulun, Jl. Tambak and Jl. Pegangsaan were part of the observance of national Anti-Narcotics Day on June 26. "We haven't conducted urine tests to find out whether they consumed the drugs, but we did arrest them for finding drugs at their places," said the director of the Jakarta Police's narcotics division, Sr. Comr. Arman Depari. "We will establish anti-drugs counseling posts at those locations. The National Narcotics Body has allotted some of its budget for that purpose," he added.

Source: The Jakarta Post / 17 June 2007 / http://www.thejakartapost.com/detailcity.asp?fileid=20070616.C07&irec=6

Malaysia

TV3 Duo Did Not Take Drugs

TV3 show host Mazidul Akmal Sidek and his TV producer, both on trial for consuming methamphetamine at a disco-theque here, are expected to be freed as hospital test results against them for the drug have turned out negative. Police are expected to drop the charges against Mazidul and Fadzi Ramli, both 40. Tests by Sultanah Aminah Hospital’s pathology department found no traces of drugs in their urine samples although five other suspects, who were arrested together with the two, tested positive to amphetamine-type stimulants (ATS). When contacted, state narcotics chief Asst Comm Haris Wong confirmed that police had obtained the results from the hospital and the tests turned out negative for two people. Asked when the dropping of the charges would be announced, he said police were waiting for instructions from the Deputy Pub-lic Prosecutor on the next course of action. Mazidul, Fadzi and five others had tested positive during an initial urine test conducted by officers from the narcotics unit during their arrest of May 12. They were sent to the hospital the next day to provide urine samples for testing, which is a routine procedure. On May 14, Mazidul was charged with six others, including a member of the Federal Reserve Unit (FRU) and road transport department (JPJ). Mazidul, host of the station’s 999 anti-crime show, and the others claimed trial to consuming methamphetamine at a discotheque in Ja-lan Abdullah Tahir on May 12 at 2.45am. (Continued)

Source: The Star Online / 13 June 2007 / http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2007/6/13/courts/18007167&sec=courts

846 Drug Cases Recorded In Sabah Last Year

The National Anti-Drugs Agency recorded 22,811 drug addicts, including 12,430 (54.49%) repeated offenders, throughout the country, in 2006. Penang topped the list with 5,127 cases (22.48%), followed by Kedah (2,634), Perak (2,545), Johor (2,329), Kelantan (2,243), Kuala Lumpur (2,017) and Selangor (1,836). Sabah recorded 846 (3.71%) cases, followed by Pahang (768), Sarawak (712), N Sembilan (624), Malacca (619), Perlis (289), Terengganu (202) and Labuan (20). Of the reported 22,811 cases, 22,348 (97.97%) were males, and 463 females. In terms of ethnicity, Malays dominated the list with 15,849 cases (69.4%), followed by Chinese (3,632) and Indians (2,427), while Sabah bumiputeras recorded 539 (2.36%) and Sarawak bumiputeras at 99 cases (0.43%), as well as foreigners (72) and other races (193). A majority of the addicts were between 20 and 34 years of age (16.19%-19.57%), while there were 50 cases of addicts between 13-15 years of age, 263 cases between 16-17 years, and 788 between 18-19 years. Those aged more than 50 years numbered 1,417. In terms of education, there were 8,653 addicts (45.87%) having SRP/LCE/PMR qualifications, and 5,584 (29.60%) with SPM/MCE/SPMV, 157 (STP/HSC/STPM) and 249 (diplomas). There were also 50 graduates involved in drug addiction, while those completed primary education were recorded at 3,551 cases and 543 case of those without formal education. General labourers were recorded at 3,578, followed by construction (3,034), service (2,369), sales (2,308), agriculture/fisheries (1,536), unemployed (1,534), transportation (1,286) and technical (1,277), among others. (Continued)

Source: Daily Express / 17 June 2007 / http://www.dailyexpress.com.my/news.cfm?NewsID=50703

Four Nigerians Among Seven Accused Of Running Drugs

Four Nigerians and three Malaysians were hauled to the High Court here on Friday for allegedly trafficking drugs. Nigerians Golden Ndubuisi Djukwu, 30, Oliver Mmaduka, 34, and Claudia Adaeze Ezeanyika, 21, claimed trial to trafficking 910 g of methamphetamine at a house in Jalan Putri Jaya 9, Taman Putri Jaya, Cheras, Selangor, on May 11 at 11pm. On the same day, at a house in Jalan Damai Perdana 5/2, Bandar Damai Perdana, Cheras, another Nigerian, Nnoli Chidi Rayes, 21, and his Malaysian friends — Noor Safarina Abdul Aziz, 21, Zuhaila Abu Bakar, 27, and Noor Rinie Mohd Radzi, 28 — were arrested for trafficking 6.37kg of cocaine at 6pm. The four accused, charged under Section 39b (1) (a) of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952 which carries a mandatory death sentence, also claimed trial. Golden and Nnoli were represented by M. Mathavan, S. Selvi and Gurbachan Singh represented Oliver, Hanif Hashim appeared for Claudia, and A. Vasudevan for the three Malaysians. Selvi appealed to judicial commissioner P. Nalini for a speedy trial as the proceedings involved foreigners. However, Nalini said there were no special treatment for foreigners. “I will follow the court diary. I must make it clear that in a day, I am hearing not just one case but more than that,” she said. (Continued)

Source: Weekend Mail / 17 June 2007 / http://www.mmail.com.my/Current_News/mm/Weekend/Hotnews/20070616140831/Article/index_html

Philippines

Abra Mayor Falls In Drug Buy-Bust Operation

Authorities on Friday charged an outgoing town mayor in Abra province and two associates for possession and sale of illegal drugs following a drug buy-bust operation near a Quezon City apartelle. Police charged Mailed Molina, outgoing mayor of Bucloc town in Abra along with his aide, Ricardo Versoza, and Japanese-Filipino businessman Richie Watanabe. They were also charged with illegal possession of firearms. Elements of the Philippine National Police-Anti Illegal Drugs Special Operations Task Force filed the complaint in inquest proceedings at the Department of Justice. Bucloc is a sixth-class municipality with a population of about 2,100 people. The suspects reportedly yielded two bricks of marijuana worth P4,000 each, eight bags of "hashish," an unlicensed M16 rifle and a .45 caliber pistol. Inquesting state prosecutor Irwin Maraya said the operation took place at about 9:30 pm on June 13 in front of an apartelle along Kalayaan Road, Quezon City. The suspects were also charged with Comission on Elections firearms ban. The three suspects were onboard the Molina’s Mitsubishi Strada pickup truck when they were caught giving bricks of dried marijuana leaves to a poseur-buyer outside the vehicle. The information was based on a tip provided by an informant, prompting the police to immediately conduct an operation. The informant was supposedly a contact of Watanabe, who was allegedly known to be engaged in the illegal drug trade. (Continued)

Source: GMA News / 15 June 2007 /

http://www.gmanews.tv/story/46744/Abra-mayor-falls-in-drug-buy-bust-operation

Kapangan Winning War V. Marijuana

Kapangan is now winning its war against illegal marijuana plantations, which has put the town in a bad light for the past several years. Kapangan Mayor Rogelio Leon said marijuana plantations are now moving far from the town and that more residents are assisting the local government and authorities in reporting areas where the illegal plant is cultivated. "Marijuana plantations are moving (away) from Kapangan. Past eradications would reveal that plantations are in the borders of the municipality-far from the sitios where the illegal plant used to be cultivated," Leon said. He said past eradications were recorded at the boundary of Kibungan and La Union, proofs that marijuana plant growers are moving away from the seven sitios that used to cultivate the illegal weed. The Kapangan Municipal Government has introduced various livelihood programs to farmers to discourage them from engaging in illicit undertakings. Leon earlier said he would meet with the newly elected officials of Kapangan to endorse to them the programs that need to be implemented even with the change in leadership. He said the Municipal Government's programs on livelihood must be sustained so that farmers who have been engaging in growing illegal plants would not go back to this old practice. Anthorium and silkworm production are among the alternative livelihood projects being pursued by the locality. Sericulture or silk production is also a booming industry in Kapangan. Silk has been identified as the town's entry to One-Town-One-Product program of the government. (Continued)

Source: The Sun Star / 15 June 2007 / http://www.sunstar.com.ph/static/bag/2007/06/16/news/kapangan.winning.war.v..marijuana.html

Silay 'Drug Pusher' Serves Life Sentence

A Silay-based drug pusher is now serving his sentence of life imprisonment at the National Penitentiary in Muntinlupa, after he was found guilty beyond reasonable doubt for having in his possession of 2.53 grams of marijuana, police said. Alberto Premaylon who was charged for violation of Sections 5 and 11 of the Republic Act 9165, or the Comprehensive Drug Act of 2002, was also meted an additional imprisonment of 14 years, aside from the life sentence, by Silay Regional Trial Court Judge Felipe Banzon. Premaylon was arrested by a team of policemen led by SPO1 Dante Victor Escorpion during a buy-bust operation at Purok Kalubihan, Brgy. Rizal, Silay City, on May 3 last year.

Source: The Visayan Daily Star / 15 June 2007 / http://www.visayandailystar.com/2007/June/15/

Bacoleño Meted Life For Sale Of Drugs, 5 Acquitted, 1 Gets Two Years

One was meted life imprisonment, five were acquitted, and another was sentenced to a minimum of six months to two years by the courts in Bacolod City for drug-related cases yesterday. Judger Edgar Garvilles of Regional Trial Court Branch 47 sentenced yesterday a Bacolod City resident to life imprisonment for possession and sale of dangerous drugs. Found guilty by the court for violation of Sec. 5 and 11 of Art. II of Republic Act 9165 or sale and possession of dangerous drugs was Alejandrino Baquilar. Court records show that on April 1, 2004, Baquilar was arrested in a buy-bust operation conducted by the operatives of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency at Galo-Hilado streets in Bacolod. Acting on an information from a confidential agent that Baquilar was behind the rampant selling of marijuana at Purok Masanag, Brgy. 26, the PDEA formed a team for the conduct of a buy-bust operation. SPO1 Arnold Yunsay of PDEA acted as poseur-buyer and paid Baquilar marked money of P60 in exchange for six marijuana cigarettes. Also recovered from Baquilar's possession during his arrest was a brick of marijuana, court records show. Garvilles, on the other hand, acquitted Rondy Ebrada, Ryan Soliguen, Eumer Angelo Gayondato and Cesar De la Rosa on charges for possession of drug paraphernalia in a case filed on May 14, 2004. In his decision, the judge called the testimony of arresting officer PO1 Jonas Leroy Redoblo against the four accused as hazy, muzzy and full of loopholes. (Continued)

Source: The Visayan Daily Star / 19 June 2007 / http://www.visayandailystar.com/2007/June/19/topstory2.htm

Singapore

CNB Nabs Drug Syndicate In Largest Heroin Bust This Year

The Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) in Singapore has made their biggest heroin bust this year, with a haul weighing nearly 1.7 kg. Besides heroin, psychotropic drugs such as Ketamine and Erimin-5 were also seized in an island-wide operation that lasted two days (June 12-13). The drugs have a street value of almost S$500,000. The CNB arrested a drug syndicate leader and seven of his associates, including Chinese and Malaysian nationals. Also nabbed were 21 customers of the drug gang. Two motor vehicles and cash amounting to S$10,000 were also seized during the operation.

Source: Channel News Asia / 13 June 2007 / http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/281977/1/.html

Trio Nabbed Over JB Kidnap

A man, who has been on the wanted list in Singapore for 20 years, and two others have been detained in connection with the kidnapping of a businessman’s son here. The three men, in their 20s to 40s, were arrested in a series of raids around the city soon after the 23-year-old victim was released after a ransom of RM600,000 was paid recently. Police have also recovered a gun, bullets and an undisclosed sum of money. State police chief Deputy Comm Datuk Hussin Ismail confirmed the arrest but declined to elaborate. It is learnt that the kidnapping happened early this month, when the victim had gone to play basketball with his friends in Taman Molek. As the victim was waiting in his car for his friends, another car crashed into the back of his vehicle. When the victim came out to inspect the damage, several men held him up at gunpoint before bundling him into his car and driving off. The suspects then called the victim’s family and demanded a RM1mil ransom. Negotiations went on for about a week before the suspects finally settled for RM600,000. During this time the victim was kept locked in a house. It is learnt that the money was dropped off at an undisclosed location in Johor Jaya and the victim was released unharmed along Pantai Lido. A special CID team later managed to track down the suspects in Tampoi and Permas Jaya. (Continued)

Source: The Star / Nelson Benjamin & Meera Vijayan / 18 June 2007 / http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2007/6/18/nation/18055391&sec=nation

Thailand

Samart Arrested In Drug Raid

Former world boxing champion Samart Payakarun was arrested in Samut Prakan yesterday for possession of a small amount of marijuana. He was apprehended in a motel room along with eight other people, including three women. Police seized from the room paraphernalia for consuming the drug known as ice, a methamphetamine. Police said they found a 0.15 gramme packet of marijuana in a pocket of the 45-year-old former boxer's trousers. They also found a bag of ice and drugs paraphernalia in a trouser pocket of Sumet Rojanapa, 40, and three psycho-active tablets in a vehicle belonging to Pornsit Jarukittikul, 38. Police said the three admitted possessing the drugs. However, after being released on 50,000 baht bail, Mr Samart said he had just met his friends and joined them for a drink at the motel. Known as one of the most talented boxers Thailand has produced, Mr Samart is a former WBC super-bantamweight champion.

Source: Bangkok Post / 14 June 2007 / http://www.bangkokpost.com/News/15Jun2007_news07.php

Korean Man Arrested For Consuming And Possessing Ya Ice In Pattaya

Police arrested a Korean man for consuming and possessing a large quantity of Ya Ice (methamphetamine). He claimed that his Thai girlfriend used it for her personal consumption. Police did not believe his account and ascertained that the man had been to Pattaya many times, presumably, trafficking in illegal drugs. On 16 June 2007, at 02:20 AM, Pol.Lt.Col. Thongchai Sukjaroen, Chief of the Drug Suppression Team, Chonburi, was notified by an informant that illicit drugs were being consumed in Room No. 301, on the 3 rd floor of Honey Place building, located at 60/134, Soi Bongkot, Central Pattaya, Moo 9, Nongprue, Banglamung, Chonburi. Pol.Col. Suthin Sabphueng, Superintendent, Pol.Maj. Chaigrit Thong-Inn and a team of officers rushed to investigate. At the scene, police detected the odor of drugs coming from the room. They asked the building caretaker to knock on the door so they could investigate. A foreign man, Mr. Park Insun (35), a South Korean citizen, opened the door. He appeared to be high on drugs. He attempted to attack the police, but they subdued him. Police found a large amount of material used in conjunction with the consumption of Ya Ice, including more than one hundred syringes; along with four plastic bags of Ya Ice weighing 4.9 grams. Under the bed, police also found a box with many items used to prepare Ya Ice and 50 used syringes, as well as, packaging materials. (Continued)

Source: Pattaya Daily News / 16 June 2007 / http://www.pattayadailynews.com/shownews.php?IDNEWS=0000003171

Raid Nabs 7 Suspected Militants

One suspect was wanted for murder of school director; automatic rifle seized. Security officials arrested seven suspected militants yesterday and seized an automatic assault rifle and other items believed to have been used in attacks in the region. Task Force 15 soldiers and police raided a Muang district house rented by the group. The weapon seized was an AK47 with 30 rounds of ammunition. Eight mobile phones, nine bank passbooks, photographs of public places and buildings in Yala municipality, five motorcycles and one car were also seized. Four of the suspects are Yala residents and the others are from Pattani. One, Abdullah Baheh, 25, is wanted in connection with the murders of a school director and a woman in Yala in December last year and April this year, investigators said. The suspects are aged between 25 and 29. Drug tests revealed the use of methamphetamine and marijuana, police said. All of them deny involvement in insurgent attacks. Muang district police chief Colonel Phumephet Pipatphet-phume said officials believed the suspects were gathering to prepare an attack in Yala municipality. Meanwhile, in Narathiwat province, a gunman shot dead a 16-year-old boy at a grocery store in Tak Bai district yesterday. The victim's father Payon Thongkupt, 47, a teacher at Tak Bai School, believed he was the intended target. Earlier yesterday, fire broke out at Baan Sripa-ngan School. Police suspect arson. One building was destroyed. (Continued)

Source: The Nation / 18 June 2007 / http://nationmultimedia.com/2007/06/18/national/national_30037140.php

Karaoke Bar Checked

On Monday night Khun Prateep, the chief of Banglamung District accompanied by police and volunteers launched a spot check on a karaoke bar in North Pattaya specializing in Korean customers. All the requisite licences were in order and all the customers and employees were over the legal minimum age. However, a drugs check uncovered eight employess, six women and two men, who tested positive for methamphetamine in their systems. Funny as it may seem, they all claimed the positive tests were the result of residue of headache tablets, which may be true given the place is after all a karaoke bar.

Source: Pattaya City News / 19 June 2007 / http://www.pattayacitynews.net/news_19_06_50_3.htm

Vietnam

The People Honour Heroes Fighting War On Illegal Drug

The Nhan Dan (The People) daily newspaper held a meeting yesterday to honour role models in the nation’s fight against illegal drugs. Present at the meeting, held as part of Viet Nam’s ‘Month for Fighting Drugs’, were Deputy Prime Minister Truong Vinh Trong, Viet Nam Fatherland Front President Pham The Duyet and Viet Nam Women’s Union Chairwoman Ha Thi Khiet. Also in attendance were representatives of 37 offices and 111 individuals who are in the front line of the nation’s battle against drug crime. In honour of their achievements, Deputy Minister of Public Security, Senior Lieutenant General Le The Tiem, praised the work of the armed forces, relevant sectors, organisations and the people, especially the anti-drug police force, who have in the last 10 years brought to justice more than 111,000 drug trafficking cases. Tiem expressed the people’s thanks for the sacrifices made by martyrs and invalids as well as their family members who had supported them in their dangerous jobs. "The people will remember the policemen’s sacrifices forever," he said. Since 1997 police have arrested more than 190,000 drug criminals, seized thousands of kilograms of opium, heroin and marijuana and hundreds of thousands of amphetamine and ecstasy tablets. They have eradicated many transnational and international drug trafficking and dealing rings such as Nguyen Van Tam in Nam Dinh, Nguyen Thi Hanh and Trinh Nguyen Thuy in Ha Noi, in addition to tracking down the users themselves. (Continued)

Source: Vietnam News Service / 13 June 2007 / http://vietnamnews.vnagency.com.vn/showarticle.php?num=02SOC130607

Vietnam To Crack Down On Drug Trafficking

The Vietnamese government will apply drastic measures to stamp out drug trafficking and reduce the number of drug addicts amongst its communities. That was the message delivered by Deputy Prime Minister Truong Vinh Trong at a meeting in Hanoi, on June 12, to praise 37 outstanding organisations and 111 individuals in the fight against drugs over the last decade. The deputy PM said the anti-drug taskforces of the Ministry of Public Security, border police, customs, and navy forces and relevant agencies had worked diligently in an effort to eradicate the crime from the Southeast Asian country. Anti-drug taskforces have over the last 10 years been active in seizing caches of opium, heroine amphetamines and other addictive substances. 111,000 drug trafficking cases have been prosecuted, including several transnational drug rings. Over 190,000 smugglers and dealers have also been sentenced to prison terms. Over the course of the decade long war on drugs, seven officers were killed in the line of duty.

Source: Vietnam News Agency / 13 June 2007 / http://english.vietnamnet.vn/social/2007/06/705668/

Death Sentences Upheld On Seven Drug Traffickers, Producers

The People’s Supreme Court on June 14 upheld death sentences for seven defendants on the charges of producing, trading and transporting large volumes of drugs. The seven defendants, namely Trinh Nguyen Thuy, Dang Van Au, Le Van Tinh, Ngo Trung Hieu, Pham Xuan Tho, Vu Hong Diep and Pham Khac Hung, were handed down death penalties by the People’s Court of northern Son La province last January. Three other defendants, Nghiem Dinh Bong, Ngo Thanh Soai and Nguyen Van Thuan, got life-imprisonment sentences for their involvement in the ring, in what is considered one of the country’s biggest drug cases. Thuy, born in 1958, and was arrested in August 2005 when he was director of a local company. He and his accomplices were accused of trafficking 216 kg of heroin and 199.5 kg of opium, and producing 48 kg of heroin. In addition, the defendants were also forced to pay fines of between VND 10-500 million (US $625-31,250). Vietnam has over the past 10 years prosecuted some 111,000 drug trafficking cases, including several transnational drug rings, in which more than 190,000 smugglers and dealers were sentenced to imprisonment.

Source: Nhan Dan / 15 June 2007 / http://www.nhandan.com.vn/english/life/150607/life_dea.htm

Pre, Post Drug Testing Decided For Asia Cup

The Vietnamese football team will have to undergo dope tests before the Asia Cup kicks off next month, said a Viet Nam Football Federation official. Furthermore, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) will perform post-match dope tests on two players from each team, chosen at random. The Asian Cup, which is being co-hosted by Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam, will run from July 4-29. According to the head of the VFF's national teams board, Pham Quang, all 23 members of the national squad will have to give urine samples, which will first be sent to the Viet Nam Sports Hospital, which opened in March. The samples will then be sent to China for testing, as Vietnam does not yet have the necessary laboratory facilities to test for banned substances. Quang added that the VFF would give doctors guidance on what substances were prohibited by the AFC. Director of the Institute for Science and Sports Medicine, Le Quy Phuong, who was appointed bead of the VFF's Department of Medicine, also said the institute would give doctors a list of banned substances. At the Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in Vietnam four years ago, two athletes were stripped of their medals after urine samples tested positive for banned chemicals. "When we investigated the case, we found that they had used restorative substances without consulting doctors beforehand," said Phuong. However, Vietnamese footballers have never tested positive for banned substances during domestic or international tournaments. In March, Hanoi police arrested V-League Ha Noi ACB footballer Nguyen Xuan Thanh at a city nightclub after 10 ecstasy tablets were found in his possession.

Source: Vietnam News / 15 June 2007 / http://english.vietnamnet.vn/sports/2007/06/706709/

Possible Drugs Found At Eatery Breaking Liquor, Fire, Labor Laws

Police paid a surprise inspection visit to a restaurant in Ho Chi Minh City Sunday where they found suspected drugs on the scene and illegal booze being served. When the Blue Club at District 1’s Hoang Thanh Trading Center was inspected, over 400 youths were found drinking hard liquor. Police found more than 700 bottles of liquor over 60-proof, although the restaurant is licensed only to sell soft drinks and food only. Some pink tablets were found at tables and on the floor, suspected to be ecstasy pills, an illegal stimulant. No one was arrested but police said some of the guests would be tested for drugs later. The restaurant was also found in violation of fire safety regulations as the over 100sq.m room has only one small exit staircase just slightly wider than 1m. In other violations, restaurant management had not signed labor contracts with its staff. The establishment was also found to be insufficiently lit in violation of lighting rules. Authorities have banned Blue Club from trading liquor and asked it to improve its exit system. In late April, central police raided the New Century Club in Hanoi, the north’s most popular disco. They detained over a thousand people, including foreigners. Over 200 of the detained clubbers tested positive for drug use. Most have been released except for those charged with drug distribution crimes.

Source: Thanh Nien News / 18 June 2007 / http://www.thanhniennews.com/society/?catid=3&newsid=29133

Police Spend US$62,500 To Crack Heroin Case

Police in a northern Vietnamese province have busted a large drug gang that trafficked 80 kg of heroin from Laos to China since 2003, but not before spending some two years and US$62,500 on investigations. The Quang Ninh provincial police said Monday they had to traverse over 200,000 km of road using 30,000 liters of fuel to crack their most complicated drugs case to date. They have seized from the ring assets worth US$62,500 (VND1 billion), 1.5 kg of heroin, eight guns, and a grenade. The 35-member gang, led by a man named Can Viet Phuong, has three Communist Party members and teachers each. Possessing, trading, or trafficking 600 grams (1.32 pounds) of heroin is punishable by death in Vietnam.

Source: Thanh Nien News / 19 June 2007 / http://www.thanhniennews.com/society/?catid=3&newsid=29203