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AP-Thai Cops Seize 277 Lbs. of Hero



Subject: AP-Thai Cops Seize 277 Lbs. of Heroin 

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Thai Cops Seize 277 Lbs. of Heroin=20
By Busaba Sivasomboon
Associated Press Writer
Wednesday, Jan. 12, 2000; 8:36 a.m. EST=20

BANGKOK, Thailand -- Thai police cooperating with U.S. narcotics agents =
have seized 277 pounds of heroin at Bangkok international airport, Thai =
police said Wednesday.=20

The drugs were allegedly set to be smuggled by an ethnic Chinese =
trafficking ring to the United States, said Police Lt. Gen. Patpongpanit =
Komkrit, chief of the Thai Narcotic Suppression Bureau.=20

After months of surveillance, police on Monday arrested two Thai-Chinese =
men who led them to the heroin hidden in two cars in the airport parking =
lot. The seizure was Thailand's biggest heroin haul in several years. =
The penalty for drug smuggling in Thailand is death.=20

The investigation followed a request from the U.S. Drug Enforcement =
Administration for help from Thai police. Police hope to make more =
arrests, particularly of one key suspect in Hong Kong, Komkrit said at a =
press conference.=20

He said the narcotic was bought in northern Thailand, which along with =
Myanmar and Laos, makes up Southeast Asia's Golden Triangle, a leading =
source of the world's opium and its derivative heroin.=20

Although Thailand has managed to almost eradicate cultivation of the =
opium poppy on its own mountainsides, it remains a conduit for drugs =
made in Myanmar, also known as Burma, the world's second largest opium =
producer after Afghanistan.=20


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<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2><FONT color=3D#800000 size=3D4><B>Thai =
Cops Seize 277=20
Lbs. of Heroin </B></FONT>
<P><!--plsfield:byline--><FONT size=3D-1><I>By Busaba =
Sivasomboon</I><BR></FONT><!--plsfield:credit--><FONT =
size=3D-1>Associated Press=20
Writer<BR></FONT><!--plsfield:disp_date--><FONT size=3D-1>Wednesday, =
Jan. 12,=20
2000; 8:36 a.m. EST=20
<P></FONT><!--plsfield:description-->BANGKOK, Thailand &#8211;&#8211; =
Thai police=20
cooperating with U.S. narcotics agents have seized 277 pounds of heroin =
at=20
Bangkok international airport, Thai police said Wednesday.=20
<P>The drugs were allegedly set to be smuggled by an ethnic Chinese =
trafficking=20
ring to the United States, said Police Lt. Gen. Patpongpanit Komkrit, =
chief of=20
the Thai Narcotic Suppression Bureau.=20
<P>After months of surveillance, police on Monday arrested two =
Thai-Chinese men=20
who led them to the heroin hidden in two cars in the airport parking =
lot. The=20
seizure was Thailand's biggest heroin haul in several years. The penalty =
for=20
drug smuggling in Thailand is death.=20
<P>The investigation followed a request from the U.S. Drug Enforcement=20
Administration for help from Thai police. Police hope to make more =
arrests,=20
particularly of one key suspect in Hong Kong, Komkrit said at a press=20
conference.=20
<P>He said the narcotic was bought in northern Thailand, which along =
with=20
Myanmar and Laos, makes up Southeast Asia's Golden Triangle, a leading =
source of=20
the world's opium and its derivative heroin.=20
<P>Although Thailand has managed to almost eradicate cultivation of the =
opium=20
poppy on its own mountainsides, it remains a conduit for drugs made in =
Myanmar,=20
also known as Burma, the world's second largest opium producer after=20
Afghanistan. </P></FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>

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