Bangkok: Sirima Panyarpisit, now Chief of the Customs Service Unit in the Chiangdao Customs House, is at the forefront of Thailand’s battle against the trafficking of illicit goods. In her previous role as a Port Control Officer in Laem Chabang, she and her team uncovered a substantial heroin shipment hidden within a container. Each discovery involved meticulous weighing and inspection, followed by detailed logging and analysis to enhance the port’s risk management strategies.
According to EMM, Thailand’s strategic location as a logistical hub in Southeast Asia positions it uniquely in the fight against synthetic drug trafficking. Criminal networks frequently import precursor chemicals into Thailand or its neighboring countries, manufacture drugs, and distribute them globally. The country’s proximity to the Golden Triangle, an area notorious for drug production and distribution, complicates enforcement efforts due to the control exerted by armed groups in some regions.
The 2024 World Drug Report highlights that drug traffickers are often involved in other crimes, including wildlife trafficking, financial fraud, and illegal resource extraction, which adversely affect communities and the environment. Sirima’s team also encounters illegal waste shipments from Europe, North America, and Asia. These shipments often mislabel waste as recyclable materials, violating Thailand’s national legislation and the Basel Convention on hazardous waste control.
Illegal waste disposal poses significant environmental and health risks, with waste frequently ending up in unauthorized landfills, the ocean, or being openly burned. Sirima’s role extends to her participation in the local profiling committee at the Port Control Unit (PCU), where she analyzes data and manages risks to improve the detection of smuggled goods. With over 10,000 shipments arriving daily, the PCU can only inspect a fraction, necessitating precise and informed assessments.
Sirima emphasizes the need for comprehensive knowledge of both Thai and global regulations to effectively tackle issues ranging from environmental protection to the monitoring of dual-use chemicals. Her expertise led to significant successes, such as the identification of a 130-tonne illegal waste seizure in 2022.
UNODC has been instrumental in enhancing the capabilities of port control officers like Sirima, providing training and resources to disrupt illicit cargo flows. Sirima has benefited from UNODC’s training and the provision of drug and precursor identification kits, which have been crucial in detecting and seizing illicit substances. She recounts a significant case where the kits helped identify a heroin shipment destined for Syria, leading to a major seizure in cooperation with Thailand’s Office of the Narcotics Control Board.
Despite the pressures and long hours, Sirima finds fulfillment in her work, driven by the impact of her efforts in combating illicit trade, even if her contributions remain largely unrecognized by the public.
