Thailand to review pardon criteria after backlash over release of 85-year-old drug trafficker
Thailand's Justice Minister has ordered a review of pardon criteria following public outrage over the release of an 85-year-old convicted drug trafficker. The individual, linked to major Golden Triangle drug syndicates, was released after serving less than a decade of a life sentence.
Why it matters
The incident exposes potential loopholes in the Thai judicial system and highlights the ongoing struggle against organized drug crime in Southeast Asia.
BANGKOK: Thailand's justice minister pledged on Tuesday (Aug 18) to review pardon criteria following backlash over the release of an 85-year-old drug trafficker who served less than a decade of a life prison sentence.
Laota Saenlee, a former anti-communist guerrilla turned drug runner linked to powerful Myanmar drug kingpins, was arrested by undercover officers in 2016 for selling crystal meth in the Golden Triangle drug-producing region.
The rugged Golden Triangle zone -- where Thailand, Myanmar and Laos meet -- has long been a hub for some of the world's most prolific illicit drug producers.
Organised crime groups move an estimated tens of billions of dollars worth of heroin, methamphetamine and ketamine annually from the region.
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