No narcotics in Thailand's ‘biggest ever drug haul’ – only cleaning agent

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No narcotics in Thailand's ‘biggest ever drug haul’ – only cleaning agent

By The Nation

 

File photo

 

Justice Minister Somsak Thepsutin has admitted that the chemical seized in what was initially billed as the biggest drugs haul in Thailand’s history is not ketamine, but a harmless cleaning agent.

 

Somsak explained on Tuesday that when the first test was carried out on 11.5 tonnes of the white powder, it turned the reagent purple – a match for ketamine. But after testing again, the substance was found to be trisodium phosphate, a cleaning agent and food additive which also turns the testing reagent purple.

 

The mistake was caused by an error in the scientific process, he added.

 

The seizure made worldwide headlines on November 12 when officials including Somsak announced they had made the largest drugs bust in Thai history. The chemical was found inside 475 sacks piled in a warehouse in Chachoengsao and was said to be worth Bt28.7 billion.

 

The raid on the warehouse in the eastern province followed a tip-off from officials in Taiwan, who told the Narcotics Control Board they had seized 300 kilos of ketamine, but more was on its way to Thailand. The Thai shipment was seized and tested, with the results checked by scientists from the Justice Ministry and the Forensic Department before the “haul” was announced to the press.

 

However, subsequent tests on 59 of the sacks showed no ketamine was present. The Justice Ministry said the remaining 406 sacks will now be examined by the NBC, Forensic Science police, and Department of Medical Sciences, with test results due this week.

 

On Monday, lawyer and transparency activist Atchariya Ruengrattanapong accused Somsak of negligence over the 11.5-tonne seizure and asked the anti-corruption agency to look into the case.

 

Somsak insisted that he had not bullied anyone, adding that he had set up a working group to investigate what had gone wrong.

 

Source: https://www.nationthailand.com/news/30398505

 

-- © Copyright The Nation Thailand 2020-11-24

 

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Related story:

Thailand seizes nearly $1 billion worth of ketamine

https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1191934-thailand-seizes-nearly-1-billion-worth-of-ketamine/

 

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Thailand says giant drug bust wasn't

 

Officials view the seized 11.5 tonnes of ketamine, in the country's largest seizure ever, worth nearly 30 billion baht (~$991 million USD) at a warehouse in Chachoengsao, Thailand, November 12, 2020. Office of the Narcotics Control Board/Handout via REUTERS

 

BANGKOK (Reuters) - Thailand's claim to have seized almost $1 billion in contraband ketamine this month was wrong and tests have so far not shown up any drugs, the justice minister said on Tuesday.

 

Somsak Thepsuthin said tests which turned purple in the presence of ketamine hydrochloride reacted the same to trisodium phosphate - a chemical which can be used as a food additive and cleaning agent which is all that had been found so far.

 

"This was a misunderstanding that our agency must accept," he told reporters. "This wasn't a mistake. It's new knowledge."

 

He said testing continued. Some 66 of 475 bags had been tested by Sunday.

 

Thailand's Office of the Narcotics Control Board had announced the seizure on Nov. 12 and said that it pointed to a multinational drug network.

 

In medicine, ketamine is used as an anaesthetic or an anti-depressant, but as a recreational drug it is used to induce dreamy or trance-like sensations, and sometimes hallucinations.

 

(Reporting by Patpicha Tanakasempipat; Editing by Matthew Tostevin)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2020-11-24

 

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[colinneil 74,438]

Amazing Thailand, just amazing, ha, ha, ha.

[PatOngo 44,800]

4 minutes ago, colinneil said:

Amazing Thailand, just amazing, ha, ha, ha.

 

Comforting to be in the hands of professionals! Owwwww!

[Upnotover 2,847]

6 minutes ago, webfact said:

This was a misunderstanding

As ever.

[YetAnother 20,631]

11 minutes ago, webfact said:

via REUTERS

 

BANGKOK (Reuters) - Thailand's claim to have seized almost $1 billion in contraband ketamine this month was wrong and tests have so far not shown up any drugs

Hahaha,so pure thai

[DLock 7,108]

...and you trust these clowns with a vaccine?

 

But I bet a few company executives are feeling a little better tonight.

[Swimfan 614]

No wonder there is no Covid in Thailand. If they cant do basic drug tests how can anyone believe the can test for a virus .

[jollyhangmon 2,242]

15 minutes ago, webfact said:

This was a misunderstanding ...

 

... 555, yeahnah ... let's just call it 'brake failure in terms of publication', shall we ...?

Bloody amateurs.

 

[Jack Mountain 1,779]

Was wondering already for a few days when somebody had the courage to tell the people ...

[rebo 1,550]

The hub of chemistry knowledge and science ...

[Misterwhisper 15,722]

35 minutes ago, webfact said:

The raid on the warehouse in the eastern province followed a tip-off from officials in Taiwan, who told the Narcotics Control Board they had seized 300 kilos of ketamine, but more was on its way to Thailand.

 

Meanwhile, thanks to these incompetents, the real shipment has been safely delivered, no doubt. 

[Pottinger 1,256]

Thailand, hub of science.

[Crossy 27,213]

5 minutes ago, Misterwhisper said:

Meanwhile, thanks to these incompetents, the real shipment has been safely delivered, no doubt. 

 

That was my immediate thought too, designated decoy.

[rkidlad 32,011]

Too late. When I first first read it was ketamine, I told everyone I knew and we all collectively panicked which caused confusion and distress for the public. 
 

Who do we file charges against for this fake news that was input into a computer? I hear this kinda crime is very serious. 

Edited November 24, 2020 by rkidlad