Phuket launches 90-day anti-drugs campaign through Sept. 30
Phuket officials have launched a 90-day anti-drugs campaign running through Sept. 30, with police and other agencies targeting trafficking, local dealers and drug-related offenses across the island.
Phuket Governor Chotinrin Kerdsum on July 7 officially launched “Operation 90 Days” at Phuket Provincial Hall, starting a province-wide anti-drugs campaign that authorities said will run through Sept. 30.
The operation brings together police, military, administrative officials and other security agencies for what officials described as an intensive crackdown. According to policy statements cited at the launch, the campaign follows a Cabinet-approved national strategy for July 1 to Sept. 30 and aligns with the Ministry of Interior’s policy to address drug-related crime through prevention, suppression, treatment and community participation.
Chotinrin said drug suppression remained a provincial priority and that authorities would work together to target high-risk areas and remove drug dealers and users from communities. He said the goal was to resolve drug-related problems in villages and communities within three months so they could be declared drug-free.
The governor said the campaign had already produced results, with three drug cases recorded in Mueang District before the official launch ceremony. He added that authorities would go beyond arrests by expanding investigations to identify accomplices and dismantle wider trafficking networks through intelligence-sharing with neighboring provinces and security agencies.
Monthly reviews will be held to assess progress and adjust enforcement strategies, he said.
Phuket Provincial Police Commander Pol Maj Gen Sinlert Sukhum said most drug offenses on the island involved small-scale dealers, but police would continue targeting trafficking through the Tha Chatchai checkpoint, postal deliveries and attempts to smuggle drugs overseas.
He said investigators would pursue all parties involved in drug networks, while enforcement would also focus on serious drug offenses, outstanding arrest warrants, conspiracy and money laundering cases, including asset seizures. Drug users and addicts would be referred to treatment programs to reduce repeat offending.
After the launch ceremony, Chotinrin flagged off joint patrol vehicles to begin operations across the province.
Later the same day, Mueang District officials announced what they described as one of the campaign’s first arrests in the sea gypsy village in Rawai. A 20-year-old Thai man was arrested in an alley near a fruit shop in Moo 2 with 88 methamphetamine pills, a mobile phone and cash allegedly linked to drug sales.
The suspect was charged with possessing a Category 1 narcotic with intent to sell, using methamphetamine and participating in illegal online gambling, before being handed over to Chalong Police for legal proceedings.
