Nearly 1 billion USD worth of ketamine was seized in Thailand by authorities Thursday, Reuters reported.
This is one of Thailand’s biggest seizures so far, with an estimated worth of 991 million USD. It indicates that a multinational smuggling network is involved, says Montri Yimyaem head of Thailand’s Narcotics Suppression Bureau, according to Reuters. “The drug is not popular in Thailand, and is mostly sold abroad, including Europe, Australia, Taiwan, Japan and Korea,” he added. (RELATED: REPORT: Spanish Police Seize Over 2,400 Pounds Of Cocaine, Second Huge Drug Bust In Past Two Weeks)
A stock of hundreds of 25-kg bags of the drug was found at a warehouse in Chachoengsao province, east of Bangkok. The investigation was expanded beyond Thailand after an additional 300kg of the same ketamine was found in Taiwan, Reuters reports.
Almost 29 billion baht worth of contraband ketamine, most of it probably destined for Europe, Japan or Korea, were seized, the Narcotics Suppression Bureau said on Thursday. #BangkokPost #Thailand https://t.co/iS2raWCMvH
— Bangkok Post (@BangkokPostNews) November 12, 2020
“This discovery is only the beginning, there will be further investigations to seize ill-gotten gains connected to drug smuggling,” said Minister of Justice Somsak Thepsutin per Reuters.
“Sixteen EU countries reported around 2 000 seizures of ketamine, amounting to an estimated 194 kilograms and 5 liters of the drug, most of which was accounted for by Belgium, France and the United Kingdom,” according to a 2019 report from the European Monitor Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction.
Ketamine is a prescription drug intended to be used as an anesthetic or anti-depressant but is also capable of inducing hallucinations.