THE Office of the Narcotics Control Board (ONCB) issued a warning today (Oct. 14) that heroin laced with fentanyl is being smuggled through Thailand to third countries in bars of soap, Naewna newspaper said.
Pol. Lt. Col. Suriya Singhakamol, ONCB’s secretary-general, said that fentanyl is a synthetic opioid 100 times more potent than morphine and 50 times more potent than heroin. If misused or taken with a slight overdose, it can be fatal. It can cause unconsciousness, respiratory arrest, and immediate death.
Data from the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) on fentanyl-related deaths in US over the past three years is as follows:
– In 2022, there were 73,838 deaths.
– In 2023, there were 72,776 deaths.
– In 2024, the total decreased to 62,223 deaths.
Although this represents a decrease of approximately 14.5%, it is still considered high and worrying due to its life-threatening potential.
In issuing this warning Suriya asked for cooperation from the public, transportation operators, airports, hotels and other accommodations to monitor suspicious behaviour of individuals who may be using Thailand as a drug trafficking route, particularly highly-dangerous synthetic substances like fentanyl.
Those who have any information are urged to call ONCB hotline 1386 available 24 hours a day.
According to the BBC, fentanyl is a synthetic drug manufactured from a combination of chemicals. US regulators approved it for use in medical settings as a pain reliever in the 1960s, but it has since become the main drug responsible for opioid overdose deaths in the US.
The US has long accused Chinese corporations of knowingly supplying the chemical components to gangs who trade in them. The White House has also accused Canada and Mexico of failing to prevent criminal gangs from smuggling fentanyl into the US.
It is frequently mixed with other illicit drugs, leading many users to be unaware that the substances they are consuming contain fentanyl.
As little as a two milligramme dose of fentanyl – roughly the size of a pencil tip – can be fatal.
Over the past decade, the global fentanyl supply chain has expanded, making it harder for law enforcement and policymakers to control.
China is the primary source of the precursor chemicals used to produce fentanyl.
CAPTIONS:
Top and Front Page: Fentanyl hidden in bars of soap.
Insert: ONCB Secretary-General Pol. Lt. Col. Suriya Singhakamol. Both photos – Naewna
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