Thailand to destroy over 7-tonne narcotics

BANGKOK, June 22 (TNA) - As previous years, Thailand will observe the International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking on June 26, when the Thai government, through the Ministry of Public Health, will burn more than 7,000 kilogrammes of seized drugs, worth over 22 billion baht. Thai Public Health Minister Dr. Rajata Rajatanavin told journalists on Monday that, as part of the country's observation of the International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, his ministry's Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will join forces with other agencies concerned to destroy the large amount of seized narcotics, the 45th destruction of its kind. For this year, Dr. Rajata said, about 7,340 kilogrammes of seized drugs from 5,508 cases, worth about 22.33 billion baht, will be burnt through the environmentally-friendly pyrolytic incineration process at the temperature of no less than 850 degrees Celsius. According to the minister, the drug destruction event will be held at the Bang Pa-in Industrial Estate in the central Ayutthaya Province as previous years, witnessed by concerned authorities and invited international diplomats. (TNA)