LOEI — Eleven administrative officials in the northeastern province of Loei tested positive for drug use Wednesday after security officers raided their meeting and forced them to take drug tests.
The 11 included village headmen and subdistrict chiefs, or kamnan, Chiang Khan district office chief Puriwat Chotinarat told reporters. They would be prosecuted if the results are confirmed by a local hospital, Puriwat said.
The group was reportedly attending a monthly routine meeting in Chiang Khan when security officers surrounded the building and tested everyone inside for drug use. Up to 307 people were tested, including local officials, doctors, and district-level administrators, Puriwat said.
The district chief added that the raid was authorized after he received complaints from residents that some officials were involved in narcotics trade.
Drug traffickers often carry their goods through Loei, which borders Laos. Just two days ago, on Monday, security officers said they intercepted 8 million pills of methamphetamine and other drugs at a checkpoint in Loei’s Dan Sai district.
