Minister wants drug-dealing convicts imprisoned on abandoned island

osted by admin / 2009-05-23

Justice Minister Pirapan Salirathavibhaga said yesterday that he was thinking of imprisoning drug-dealing prison inmates on some deserted island or oil rig.

"I&acutem thinking about asking the Royal Thai Navy to find an isolated island or unused old oil-drilling platform"

"I'm thinking about asking the Royal Thai Navy to find an isolated island or unused old oil-drilling platform, possibly in the Gulf of Thailand, to put these nasty drug-dealing convicts on so they can't contact anyone to ply their trade," he said.

The justice minister conceded, however, that this would need a change in the law.

He said police investigation of major drug dealers was hampered by the fact that most of those masterminding the trade were already behind bars and working through dozens of bank accounts in other people's names. He plans to install signal-jamming devices at major prisons.

Drug dealing among convicts is much less of a problem due to the limited goods to go around, he said. The trade in the general community, masterminded by convicts with networks importing and delivering methamphetamines at various points, is so serious that the prime minister has had to frame a tough policy to tackle it.

Pirapan cited prison searches that regularly found mobile phones with unregistered SIM cards smuggled in by warders in exchange for money.

Only 5-6 key prisons of the 147 nationwide are involved, Pirapan said, expressing the hope that the fiscal-2010 budget would give him the wherewithal to install signal-jammers there and crack down on the warders involved.

News item courtesy of The Nation Bangkok at www.nationmultimedia.com
http://www.pattayatoday.net/index.php?action=show&type=news&id=5903