The trainee police officers are part of a network of law enforcement professionals in Thailand, as well as across the region, who are collaborating across borders to stop the trafficking operations of gangs. international crime syndicate.
They are collaborating in a network of border liaison offices (BLOs), supported by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).
Lieutenant Colonel Amonrat Wathanakhosit is stationed at the Thai Police Training Center Area 5 in northern Thailand.
“I am currently working with interns at a police checkpoint on Highway 1 about 40 kilometers south of the Thailand-Myanmar border in the extreme north of Thailand. There is a constant flow of traffic from and towards the border area, including private and commercial vehicles as well as public transport.
This checkpoint is here to try and slow the flow of drugs like methamphetamine from Myanmar north through Thailand and to other countries in the region. In a way, this is the job that is saving our country from the scourge of drugs.
This is practical work. The students are stopping and searching for vehicles one by one. They do not use any technology, but only use their knowledge of human trafficking and are committed to serving and protecting their community.
Police officers conduct a security check at a roadblock in northern Thailand.
blocking drugs
They randomly selected drivers for questioning and then assessed the person’s behavior to decide if they were hiding drugs. Gradually, these practitioners become more confident and therefore more effective in their work and are able to assist colleagues from other law enforcement agencies to stop drugs. Recently, we have successfully seized numerous methamphetamine pills.
If drivers are suspected of being under the influence of drugs, they can also be tested here, after they provide a urine sample.
UNODC supported the training program, providing trainees with useful insights into detecting suspicious vehicles and other unusual activity.
The training has been very successful and I think in the future we can even train officers from neighboring Myanmar and Laos. I think this kind of cross-border cooperation will allow joint activities to stop the production and trafficking of drugs.
Individuals suspected of drug use may be screened at roadside facilities established by law enforcement agencies.
Overproduction of methamphetamine
One of the biggest challenges we face is getting enough staff to work at these checkpoints to combat the overproduction of methamphetamine. These officers have other duties and responsibilities and therefore do not devote all their time to drug containment.
However, the training I participate in is my inspiration, my passion, and my strength. It’s not hard work for me. I am grateful for the continued support of the Office of Drug Control and UNODC.
My son is 18 years old and a college student, and I tell him about the bad guys I meet at work and the dangers of drugs, how they can destroy people and society. . He understands that my job is to try to stop drugs.”
A police officer interrogates passengers on a bus traveling from northern Thailand.
Fast facts about the border liaison office (BLO)
- Around 120 BLOs have been established across Southeast Asia.
- BLOs are established in pairs – on either side of an international border crossing.
- The BLO addresses a multitude of cross-border issues, including drug and chemical precursor trafficking, migrant smuggling, human trafficking, wildlife and forestry crime, and in some locations, movement of terrorist fighters in addition to public health and pandemic related issues.
- The BLO Network works to strengthen ties between law enforcement and border communities, community control efforts, and the role and leadership of women in law enforcement. the law.
