Army chief orders high alert against illegal acts along border

BANGKOK, February 9 (TNA) - In response to rising cross-border crime and other illegal activities, Thai Army Chief General Prayuth Chan-ocha has ordered local security forces to be on high alert with strict inspections of people and goods along Thailand's common frontiers with neighbouring countries. Royal Thai Army Deputy Spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Winthai Suvaree said that the army commander-in-chief's order is in line with a policy given by Defence Minister Air Chief Marshal Sukumpol Suwanatat to prevent and contain a wide range of the cross-border crime and other illegal acts, including drug trafficking, illegal logging, illegal immigration, illegal trade and illegal gambling. Lieutenant Colonel Winthai told journalists that the local security officers have also been told to beef up their intelligence gathering mechanisms and to intensify their inspections at border check points. The deputy army spokesman acknowledged that the army chief has also reminded the local security officers not to engage in any illegal activity, warning that any officer found involved in an illegal act will sternly face both disciplinary and legal actions. According to the deputy army spokesperson, this month's operations of army security forces along the border have resulted in arrests of 37 drug traffickers, as well as seizures of over 371,500 methamphetamine pills, 11 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine and 3 kilograms of raw opium so far, along with some clashes between the government security forces and armed drug trafficking gangs. (TNA)