Massive drug busts continue in Thailand

Drugs are a big part of life all around the world and personally, I think it is a battle that can not be won and I am on the fence about whether or not the war should even be fought. This is a topic for a different discussion but it is hard to argue with the benefits that certain countries have seen with the legalization or at minimum decriminalization for individual users. However, I don’t think my opinion of this would be affected very much because this particular bust, which only involved two separate raids, would have been affected very much by the “decriminalization” of drug use.

In just two busts, which are believed to be connected in part of the same cartel of drug smugglers operating near the borders of Thailand (Thai government loves to blame all woes, including drugs, on other countries) 1.5 million tables of meth (called “Ya Ba” which means “crazy drug” in Thai) and more than 2 tons of marijuana. One would assume that a massive amount of people would have also been arrested in this sort of thing but alas, it was just 5 guys (not to be confused with the delicious but overpriced burger people.)

In another bust that the police claim was unrelated, another 2.5 tons of weed and 6kg of ketamine was confiscated and 6 people were arrested.

I have to admit that I don’t really know what people use ketamine for but I think weed is harmless. Certainly less harmful than alcohol is. Meth on the other hand is dangerous and ruins people’s lives. I have never met anyone who was successful that does meth.

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_{Yaba can be smoked or simply ingested as a tablet, I believe smoking it hits faster and is therefore more popular}

Anyway, it does seem a little bit strange to me that one of these busts took place at a police checkpoint, the likes of which are very common in Thailand, where vehicles are searched when they pass through. This suggests to me that these criminals probably have paid off the police in the past because why else would they be so bold to approach one of these checkpoints? They were carrying a tremendous amount of contraband worth millions of dollars and one would assume that if the cops weren’t paid off that an operation of this magnitude would have scouts on motorbikes keeping in touch with the cargo truck driver.

These checkpoints are routinely set up in the same places and could be easily bypassed by a knowledgeable drug ring. Even people driving without helmets easily circumnavigate them.

This all seems really suspicious to me is what I am trying to say. I haven’t lived here very long but the prevailing opinion of busts like these is that the drugs will simply be recirculated with the police taking the profits for themselves. Most higher ranking police officers in this country are immensely wealthy well beyond the capabilities of their salaries and you kind of have to start to ask how this is possible without corruption.

Regardless of this bust I can say with absolute certainty that it isn’t going to have much impact on the drug trade in Thailand. Although I personally don’t do drugs (I smoke a bit of weed every now and then) I am always offered all of these things if I am in a particular part of the city. This “war” can not be won.