Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin has instructed the Anti-Money Laundering Office (Amlo) to give priority to seizing the assets of so-called "big fish" drug networks in a bid to cut the lifeline of the narcotics trade.
Mr Srettha was speaking at an Amlo meeting on Thursday, where he was briefed on the agency's progress in implementing its policies and operations.
According to Amlo secretary-general Thepsu Bawornchotdara, the agency seized at least 523 million baht in assets in narcotic drug-related cases between 2023 and 2024.
The biggest seizure was assets owned by a drug gang allegedly operated by Charnchai Khlonglu worth at least 100 million baht.
Amlo's report on its operations also listed the network of a Myanmar tycoon, Tun Min Latt, from whom 48 million baht worth of assets was impounded in 2022, and the drug network of a businessman, identified as Chaiyanat "Tuhao" Kornchayanant, whose seized assets were valued at 37 million baht.
After the briefing, Mr Srettha told the meeting that Amlo and related agencies must do their part to proactively root out the drug traffickers and traders by expeditiously going after the assets of major narcotics networks.
The premier said large quantities of illicit drugs were still being imported into the country. Amlo must impound assets acquired with drug money for the purpose of laundering money in all cases, he said.
However, the "big fish" traffickers and traders provide the upstream finances for the entire drug networks, so their assets must be impounded quickly to dismantle the distribution network, trafficking and sales, he said.
Amlo has the power to enforce the law, and it must act fast, Mr Srettha said, adding, "People are watching".
Mr Srettha also demanded that Amlo proactively work with other agencies, such as the Royal Thai Police (RTP), to expand investigations and enhance asset seizure efficiency.
He urged the agency to chase the trail of illegal money from online gambling and call centre scams.
Mr Srettha said assets seized would be used to compensate victims of the scams. At the same time, the agency should help devise a stricter security system for financial institutes to protect customers from scammers, he noted.
Mr Srettha later met Angela Macdonald, the Australian ambassador to Thailand, to discuss trans-border drug suppression operations.
He said he also planned to discuss narcotics suppression efforts with Robert F Godec, the US ambassador to Thailand when they meet next.
