DSI to handle drug-precursor cases: Chalerm

BANGKOK: -- Moves are underway to make cases involving the acquisition of medications used in the production of illegal narcotics the automatic responsibility of the Department of Special Investigation, Deputy Prime Minister Chalerm Yoobamrung said yesterday.

The importing and exporting of medicines that could be used in narcotics production should be placed on a regionwide watch list, and narcotics suppression should be made a priority by Asean member countries, he added.

Giving automatic jurisdiction to the DSI did not reflect a lack of trust in local police, but made sense because the department had special connections with most hospitals, due to regular contact when hospitals treated crimerelated injuries, he said.

Chalerm did not elaborate on the nature of this special connection, or how it related to the narcoticsproduction issue, despite his earlier implication of hospitals in the current investigation into the disappearance of pseudoephedrinebased cold medications from hospitals. Pseudoephedrine is used in the manufacture of methamphetamine.

A study into the legality of granting automatic jurisdiction to the DSI in such cases is under way, with the Public Health Ministry requesting the Council of State examine the issue. Public Health Minister Witthaya Buranasiri has agreed in principle with the plan, Chalerm said.

In a new development in the pseudoephedrine scandal, meanwhile, Nawamin 9 Hospital in Bangkok's Min Buri district reported that half of the 600,000 pseudoephedrine tablets ordered by the hospital had gone missing. Witthaya said the hospital's management was cooperating with authorities and had handed relevant documents to the ministry and to police for inspection.

Witthaya had earlier denied learning of an aide's statement accusing certain highranking ministry officials of being behind the pseudoephedrine issue. He later said Phasit Sakdanarong's statement reflected his personal opinion, and that no evidence had been produced implicating any officials.

"There is no evidence or proof showing which official at the ministry [is implicated], or how they are benefiting from the pseudoephedrine scheme. But one thing I am sure of is that no officials close to me are involved," he said.

He said Phasit was responsible for his comments. The minister said he would not order an investigation into Phasit's statement, and that it should not affect his role as an adviser to the ministry. "However, if there is any highranking official found to be involved, action will be taken," he said.

Witthaya repeated Chalerm's statement on Thursday that some of the pharmacists at hospitals suspected of involvement in the pseudoephedrine scheme had graduated from the same universities, but added that no evidence that their school ties played a part in their alleged crimes had been produced.

The Council of State has reportedly ruled that pseudoephedrine was now removed from a prescriptiondrugs list and recategorised as an addictive substance, making it easier to control under Food and Drugs Administration regulations.


-- The Nation 2012-03-24