The International Narcotics Control College (INCC), a newly founded institution in Chiang Rai, Thailand, is set to provide specialised coaching for regulation enforcement brokers and associated organisations, with the mission of curbing drug trafficking in the Mekong subregion. Nestled inside the compound of the Hall of Opium, Thailand’s opium museum, in Chiang Saen district, the INCC is the first of its kind in the Mekong region.
The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and Thailand’s Office of Narcotics Control Board (ONCB) collectively launched the faculty. Jeremy Douglas, the UNODC Regional Representative for Southeast Asia and Pacific, views the school as a useful alternative for the ONCB and its companions to deliver progressive programmes addressing drug trafficking.
“We are taking a glance at providing programs on the INCC in drug intelligence and analysis, border administration, precursor chemical control, in addition to drug policy and demand reduction.”
The INCC will complement the existing Safe Mekong Coordination Center (SMCC) of the ONCB in Chiang Saen, which continues to watch drug trafficking within the Golden Triangle and Mekong subregion nations. The Golden Triangle, incorporating Myanmar, Laos and Thailand, is a significant opium-producing area in Southeast Asia. Douglas emphasised that UNODC will support SMCC duties, similar to drug analysis, and provide new intelligence software and coaching.
The ONCB’s secretary-general, Wichai Chaimongkhon, mentioned the INCC came into being after the Mae Fah Luang Foundation, which manages the Hall of Opium, donated some land on the museum to the ONCB. The concept of a world anti-drugs institution for the subregion was conceived, leading to the creation of the INCC.
The curriculum will primarily concentrate on instructing investigation, prevention and suppression concepts in drug trafficking. The school, situated in a forest near the Mekong River, may even act as a research centre within the area. The location is designed to provide hands-on experiences in combatting drug trafficking on land and water.
The INCC is financed by the ONCB’s Drug Prevention and Suppression Fund, which features a portion of money confiscated by the court docket from drug traffickers. The centre also receives sponsorship from the UNODC, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand and Saudi Arabia.
Wichai sees the present launch as simply the primary stage of improvement, with some amenities, such as a seminar room, the capturing gallery and the drug analysis centre, but to be completed. Recognized is expected to be absolutely operational by the next 12 months, reported Bangkok Post.
“We hope this coaching centre will strengthen crime-solving capacities within the Mekong subregion, especially on this interval when drug crimes have gotten extremely digitised and sophisticated,” Wichai mentioned. “We need to extend our capability to ensure we will address drug crimes within the area.”
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