One of Bangladesh's top female cricketers could be jailed for life after being caught with 14,000 methamphetamine pills, police said today.

Nazreen Khan Mukta, who plays first-grade cricket in the Dhaka Premier League, was returning from a match in the southeastern city of Cox's Bazar when police stopped and searched the team bus at Chittagong.

"During our search, we caught her with 14,000 yaba pills she had kept in packets," local police chief Pronob Chowdhury told AFP, using the local name for tablets of methamphetamine mixed with caffeine.

Chowdhury said the Ansar VDP star would be charged with drug trafficking, an offence that can carry a maximum sentence of life in prison.

Cox's Bazar borders Myanmar's conflict-plagued Rakhine state, where authorities say methamphetamine labs produce tens of millions of yaba pills that are shipped to Bangladesh.

Officials this month said drug traffickers had been more active since August when nearly 700,000 Rohingya refugees fleeing violence in Myanmar began pouring into Bangladesh.

Gangs have been using the Rohingya refugees as mules and hiding drugs in fishing boats used for ferrying the persecuted Muslims to safety.

Authorities said last month that nine million yaba pills were seized in less than three months as the refugee influx reached its peak. Nearly two million were discovered in a single haul.

Dhaka has been planning to introduce the death penalty for yaba trafficking to try to curb the drug's popularity and use.

Bangladesh in 2017 seized more than 40 million pills, double the previous year's haul.

One of Bangladesh's top female cricketers could be jailed for life after being caught with 14,000 methamphetamine pills

One of Bangladesh's top female cricketers could be jailed for life after being caught with 14,000 methamphetamine pills, police said today. Nazreen Khan Mukta, who plays first-grade cricket in the Dhaka Premier League, was returning from a match in the southeastern city of Cox's Bazar when police stopped and searched the team bus at Chittagong. "During our search, we caught her with 14,000 yaba pills she had kept in packets," local police chief Pronob Chowdhury told AFP, using the local name for tablets of methamphetamine mixed with caffeine. Chowdhury said the Ansar VDP star would be charged with drug trafficking, an offence that can carry a maximum sentence of life in prison. Cox's Bazar borders Myanmar's conflict-plagued Rakhine state, where authorities say methamphetamine labs produce tens of millions of yaba pills that are shipped to Bangladesh. Officials this month said drug traffickers had been more active since August when nearly 700,000 Rohingya refugees fleeing violence in Myanmar began pouring into Bangladesh. Gangs have been using the Rohingya refugees as mules and hiding drugs in fishing boats used for ferrying the persecuted Muslims to safety. Authorities said last month that nine million yaba pills were seized in less than three months as the refugee influx reached its peak. Nearly two million were discovered in a single haul. Dhaka has been planning to introduce the death penalty for yaba trafficking to try to curb the drug's popularity and use. Bangladesh in 2017 seized more than 40 million pills, double the previous year's haul.

Bangladeshi cricketer charged with drug trafficking

At least five policemen were killed and 41 others were left injured when a homemade bomb exploded outside a police station on Saturday in the Colombian city of Barranquilla.&nbsp;

The blast comes hours after a high-powered car bomb gutted another police station near the border in neighbouring Ecuador.

The attack was one of the deadliest on security personnel in recent years, in one of Colombia&#39;s most important cities.

It comes as the government of President Juan Manuel Santos seeks to bring the armed conflict that has wracked Colombia for 50 years to an end. Much of the violence has been financed by drug trafficking.

As per media reports, head of Barranquilla&#39;s police,&nbsp;Mariano Botero,&nbsp;said the attack may have been carried out by associates of a local crime boss known as &quot;Happy,&quot; who was arrested recently on charges of drug trafficking, extorting businesses and terrorizing residents with threats of murder in the Caribbean city.

&quot;I do not have the slightest doubt that this is a retaliation&quot; for successful police action against drug traffickers, he told reporters.

Botero also suggested that the attack could be in revenge after a police crackdown on local drug traffickers.

A 31-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of carrying out the attack, according to attorney general Nestor Martinez.

&quot;We will charge (him) with five aggravated murders ... attempted murder, terrorism and use of explosives,&quot; he told a press conference.

 
&nbsp;

Head of Barranquilla's police suggested that the attack could be in revenge after a police crackdown on local drug traffickers

At least five policemen were killed and 41 others were left injured when a homemade bomb exploded outside a police station on Saturday in the Colombian city of Barranquilla. The blast comes hours after a high-powered car bomb gutted another police station near the border in neighbouring Ecuador. The attack was one of the deadliest on security personnel in recent years, in one of Colombia's most important cities. It comes as the government of President Juan Manuel Santos seeks to bring the armed conflict that has wracked Colombia for 50 years to an end. Much of the violence has been financed by drug trafficking. As per media reports, head of Barranquilla's police, Mariano Botero, said the attack may have been carried out by associates of a local crime boss known as "Happy," who was arrested recently on charges of drug trafficking, extorting businesses and terrorizing residents with threats of murder in the Caribbean city. "I do not have the slightest doubt that this is a retaliation" for successful police action against drug traffickers, he told reporters. Botero also suggested that the attack could be in revenge after a police crackdown on local drug traffickers. A 31-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of carrying out the attack, according to attorney general Nestor Martinez. "We will charge (him) with five aggravated murders ... attempted murder, terrorism and use of explosives," he told a press conference.

5 dead, 41 injured after attack in Colombia

India has been enduring the menace of drug trafficking for four decades. Although India has been a traditional consumer of opium and cannabis derivatives, the trends and patterns of drug trafficking demonstrate that there is a gradual shift from traditional/natural drugs towards synthetic drugs that are being trafficked and consumed in the country. In the 1980s, a large quantity of heroin and hashish was smuggled into the country through various borders. While these narcotics are still trafficked, albeit, in lesser quantities, the share of synthetic drugs has gone up tremendously. Various studies and media reports indicate that drug consumption and trafficking in the country are, in fact, showing an increasing trend. &nbsp;&nbsp;

Trend in drug and narcotics trafficking &nbsp;

Being closer to the Golden Crescent and Golden Triangle, India has been vulnerable to the trafficking of narcotics and drugs such as heroin, hashish, and synthetic drugs produced in these areas. Heroin was first trafficked into India in the mid-seventies from the Golden Triangle, which picked up by eighties. However, the quantity of the trafficked heroin through the India-Myanmar border into the Northeast has always been very small as it is meant for local consumption only. &nbsp;

The Golden Crescent, on the other hand, has remained the primary source of trafficked heroin in the country since the early eighties when traffickers started rerouting heroin from this region through India following the Iran-Iraq war. Although the end of the war and reopening of the Balkan trafficking route in the late eighties resulted in a dip in heroin trafficking in the country, the trend did not sustain. After a gap of almost two decades, it again picked up in 2012. Increased production of opium in Afghanistan, greater domestic demand in India, and connivance of state government officials and border guarding forces together contributed towards this increase in heroin trafficking, especially in the Punjab sector.&nbsp;

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<h5>Increased production of opium in Afghanistan, greater domestic demand in India, and connivance of state government officials and border guarding forces contributed towards increase in heroin trafficking, especially in the Punjab sector.&nbsp;</h5>
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Besides heroin, hashish and marijuana are the two derivatives of Cannabis which are extensively trafficked in India. Hashish and marijuana have been traditionally trafficked into India from Nepal and therefore, Nepal remains a major source even though its share has been decreasing over the past few years. In addition, the Golden Crescent has also been a major source of hashish in India. Incidentally, a lot of these narcotics that are trafficked into India not consumed domestically but transit the country for destinations such as Europe, Canada and the United States of America. Lately, trafficking of cocaine into India has been observed. This is a result of diversification of cocaine markets globally. Cocaine produced in Colombia, Peru and Bolivia travels to India through West Asia and Gulf Countries.&nbsp;

Apart from narcotics, India has been experiencing a significant rise in the use of psychotropic substances and medicinal preparations among addicts since late 1990. Stringent narcotics and drugs laws, rising price of heroin and easy availability of synthetic drugs have propelled this shift in the consumption pattern and hence their trafficking. Amphetamine Type Stimulant (ATS) and Methamphetamine produced in large quantities in South-east Asia especially in the Golden Triangle are trafficked into India through the porous India-Myanmar border. India also manufactures a lot of synthetic drugs and precursor chemicals which are smuggled out of the country. Pharmaceutical preparations containing Dextropropoxyphene and Codeine are trafficked to the neighbouring countries especially to Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh and Myanmar. Ketamine is yet another medicinal preparation which is smuggled out of India to various South-east Asian countries. Similarly, Ephedrine and Pseudoephedrine used for manufacturing ATS and Acetic Anhydride used for the manufacturing of heroin are smuggled into the Golden Crescent and Golden Triangle from India.&nbsp;

Threat to National Security&nbsp;

This two-way illegal movement of narcotics and drugs pose a significant threat to the national security. For one, the breach of the international borders of the country by drug traffickers implies that the same routes could be used for smuggling in weapons as well as terrorists into the country. In fact, it has been established that the arms and explosives used in the 1993 serial bomb blasts in Mumbai were transported by the Dawood Ibrahim gang through the traditional trafficking routes. Investigations into the Pathankot attack that took place on 31st December 2015 also hinted that the terrorists entered into India from Pakistan through the routes tried and tested by drug traffickers.

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<h5>Breach of the international borders by drug traffickers implies that the same routes could be used for smuggling weapons and terrorists into the country.</h5>
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The nexus between drug traffickers, criminal networks and terrorists are another potent threat. Exploitation of the trafficking routes by terrorists with the help of well-entrenched criminal networks to infiltrate with arms and explosives adds a critical dimension to the security of the borders. It has been proven that the D Company had facilitated activities of Islamist terror groups in India by supporting their cross-border movement and providing them with funds and shelter in the country. Composite seizures of drugs and arms by security forces at the borders points to a close nexus between drug traffickers and anti-national elements. &nbsp;

Further, the money generated by the illegal sale of narcotics and drugs is used for financing terrorist activities. In India, the Kashmiri, Sikh and Northeast militants have used drug money to finance their &lsquo;struggle&rsquo; against the Indian state. It is estimated that 15 per cent of the finances of the J&amp;K militants were generated through the sale of drugs. In the Northeast, while the smaller insurgent organisations are directly involved in drug trafficking to generate quick funds, the bigger insurgent organisations collect protection money from the drug peddlers in lieu of safe passage of drug consignments through their territory.&nbsp;

Last but not least, large-scale availability of narcotics and drugs encourages demand for narcotics and drugs by domestic population. Consumption of which produces dysfunctional behaviour thereby creating law and order problem in the society. It also causes a huge economic drain on the country through loss of production and diversion of resources for caring and rehabilitation of the drug addicts, etc. Drug trafficking also has a direct bearing on the political process as drug cartels subvert, penetrate and further corrupt state institutions to control the illegal drug trade.&nbsp;

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<h5>Drug trafficking also has a direct bearing on the political process as drug cartels subvert, penetrate and further corrupt state institutions to control the illegal drug trade.&nbsp;</h5>
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Response&nbsp;

Given these challenges, India has adopted a comprehensive approach to reducing supply as well as demand for narcotics and drugs. The approach comprises four elements &ndash; a) enacting legislation such as the Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act (NDPS); b) ensuring physical security of the borders and coasts by strengthening patrolling and surveillance; c) eliciting cooperation from neighbours by entering into several bilateral and multilateral agreements on prevention of illicit traffic of drugs and chemicals, and; d) co-operating with voluntary organisations in the endeavour to prevent abuse of narcotics and synthetic drugs.&nbsp;

Conclusion&nbsp;

Despite these measures, prevention of drug trafficking in India has achieved only partial success. Low priority accorded to the prevention of drug trafficking is one of the main reasons why concerned organisation do not display required urgency in apprehending drug peddlers and subsequent investigation. Turf wars between various agencies, corruption, intelligence failure, lack of manpower and infrastructure, poor drug detection training, and procedural delays are other factors that hamper the effectiveness of the country&rsquo;s drug prevention efforts. Since drug trafficking has serious ramifications on the country&rsquo;s security, it is time India pays much more attention to the problem and formulates robust measures to overcome the loopholes in its strategy for prevention of drug trafficking.&nbsp;

Apart from posing a threat to security, there is now a gradual shift in domestic consumption of drugs from natural to synthetic in India

India has been enduring the menace of drug trafficking for four decades. Although India has been a traditional consumer of opium and cannabis derivatives, the trends and patterns of drug trafficking demonstrate that there is a gradual shift from traditional/natural drugs towards synthetic drugs that are being trafficked and consumed in the country. In the 1980s, a large quantity of heroin and hashish was smuggled into the country through various borders. While these narcotics are still trafficked, albeit, in lesser quantities, the share of synthetic drugs has gone up tremendously. Various studies and media reports indicate that drug consumption and trafficking in the country are, in fact, showing an increasing trend. Trend in drug and narcotics trafficking Being closer to the Golden Crescent and Golden Triangle, India has been vulnerable to the trafficking of narcotics and drugs such as heroin, hashish, and synthetic drugs produced in these areas. Heroin was first trafficked into India in the mid-seventies from the Golden Triangle, which picked up by eighties. However, the quantity of the trafficked heroin through the India-Myanmar border into the Northeast has always been very small as it is meant for local consumption only. The Golden Crescent, on the other hand, has remained the primary source of trafficked heroin in the country since the early eighties when traffickers started rerouting heroin from this region through India following the Iran-Iraq war. Although the end of the war and reopening of the Balkan trafficking route in the late eighties resulted in a dip in heroin trafficking in the country, the trend did not sustain. After a gap of almost two decades, it again picked up in 2012. Increased production of opium in Afghanistan, greater domestic demand in India, and connivance of state government officials and border guarding forces together contributed towards this increase in heroin trafficking, especially in the Punjab sector. Increased production of opium in Afghanistan, greater domestic demand in India, and connivance of state government officials and border guarding forces contributed towards increase in heroin trafficking, especially in the Punjab sector. × Besides heroin, hashish and marijuana are the two derivatives of Cannabis which are extensively trafficked in India. Hashish and marijuana have been traditionally trafficked into India from Nepal and therefore, Nepal remains a major source even though its share has been decreasing over the past few years. In addition, the Golden Crescent has also been a major source of hashish in India. Incidentally, a lot of these narcotics that are trafficked into India not consumed domestically but transit the country for destinations such as Europe, Canada and the United States of America. Lately, trafficking of cocaine into India has been observed. This is a result of diversification of cocaine markets globally. Cocaine produced in Colombia, Peru and Bolivia travels to India through West Asia and Gulf Countries. Apart from narcotics, India has been experiencing a significant rise in the use of psychotropic substances and medicinal preparations among addicts since late 1990. Stringent narcotics and drugs laws, rising price of heroin and easy availability of synthetic drugs have propelled this shift in the consumption pattern and hence their trafficking. Amphetamine Type Stimulant (ATS) and Methamphetamine produced in large quantities in South-east Asia especially in the Golden Triangle are trafficked into India through the porous India-Myanmar border. India also manufactures a lot of synthetic drugs and precursor chemicals which are smuggled out of the country. Pharmaceutical preparations containing Dextropropoxyphene and Codeine are trafficked to the neighbouring countries especially to Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh and Myanmar. Ketamine is yet another medicinal preparation which is smuggled out of India to various South-east Asian countries. Similarly, Ephedrine and Pseudoephedrine used for manufacturing ATS and Acetic Anhydride used for the manufacturing of heroin are smuggled into the Golden Crescent and Golden Triangle from India. Threat to National Security This two-way illegal movement of narcotics and drugs pose a significant threat to the national security. For one, the breach of the international borders of the country by drug traffickers implies that the same routes could be used for smuggling in weapons as well as terrorists into the country. In fact, it has been established that the arms and explosives used in the 1993 serial bomb blasts in Mumbai were transported by the Dawood Ibrahim gang through the traditional trafficking routes. Investigations into the Pathankot attack that took place on 31st December 2015 also hinted that the terrorists entered into India from Pakistan through the routes tried and tested by drug traffickers. Breach of the international borders by drug traffickers implies that the same routes could be used for smuggling weapons and terrorists into the country. × The nexus between drug traffickers, criminal networks and terrorists are another potent threat. Exploitation of the trafficking routes by terrorists with the help of well-entrenched criminal networks to infiltrate with arms and explosives adds a critical dimension to the security of the borders. It has been proven that the D Company had facilitated activities of Islamist terror groups in India by supporting their cross-border movement and providing them with funds and shelter in the country. Composite seizures of drugs and arms by security forces at the borders points to a close nexus between drug traffickers and anti-national elements. Further, the money generated by the illegal sale of narcotics and drugs is used for financing terrorist activities. In India, the Kashmiri, Sikh and Northeast militants have used drug money to finance their ‘struggle’ against the Indian state. It is estimated that 15 per cent of the finances of the J&K militants were generated through the sale of drugs. In the Northeast, while the smaller insurgent organisations are directly involved in drug trafficking to generate quick funds, the bigger insurgent organisations collect protection money from the drug peddlers in lieu of safe passage of drug consignments through their territory. Last but not least, large-scale availability of narcotics and drugs encourages demand for narcotics and drugs by domestic population. Consumption of which produces dysfunctional behaviour thereby creating law and order problem in the society. It also causes a huge economic drain on the country through loss of production and diversion of resources for caring and rehabilitation of the drug addicts, etc. Drug trafficking also has a direct bearing on the political process as drug cartels subvert, penetrate and further corrupt state institutions to control the illegal drug trade. Drug trafficking also has a direct bearing on the political process as drug cartels subvert, penetrate and further corrupt state institutions to control the illegal drug trade. × Response Given these challenges, India has adopted a comprehensive approach to reducing supply as well as demand for narcotics and drugs. The approach comprises four elements – a) enacting legislation such as the Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act (NDPS); b) ensuring physical security of the borders and coasts by strengthening patrolling and surveillance; c) eliciting cooperation from neighbours by entering into several bilateral and multilateral agreements on prevention of illicit traffic of drugs and chemicals, and; d) co-operating with voluntary organisations in the endeavour to prevent abuse of narcotics and synthetic drugs. Conclusion Despite these measures, prevention of drug trafficking in India has achieved only partial success. Low priority accorded to the prevention of drug trafficking is one of the main reasons why concerned organisation do not display required urgency in apprehending drug peddlers and subsequent investigation. Turf wars between various agencies, corruption, intelligence failure, lack of manpower and infrastructure, poor drug detection training, and procedural delays are other factors that hamper the effectiveness of the country’s drug prevention efforts. Since drug trafficking has serious ramifications on the country’s security, it is time India pays much more attention to the problem and formulates robust measures to overcome the loopholes in its strategy for prevention of drug trafficking.

Drug trafficking a challenge to India's security

Indonesia&#39;s Attorney General said the execution of at least 10 convicts on Friday (July 29) will be suspended pending further reviews. 
 
Four drug traffickers, three Nigerians and one Indonesian, were executed by firing squad during a thunderstorm shortly after midnight earlier today at the prison Island of Nusakambangan. 
 
Initially Attorney General Muhammad Prasetyo said 14 convicted drug traffickers, including citizens of India, Pakistan, and Zimbabwe, would be executed. 
 
&quot;After we&#39;ve done the assessment we decided that four people needed to be executed in the early hours today, while the ten other people will be decided later. This suspension was decided through comprehensive assessment and careful thought to avoid any possible mistakes from the judicial aspect and non-judicial aspect.&quot; said Prasetyo during a news conference in Jakarta. 
 
Gurdip Singh of India was among the 10 convicts that were facing execution in a&nbsp;drug peddling case. Singh was found guilty by an Indonesian court and handed death penalty in 2005. 
 
The date for the next round of executions has not been set, Prasetyo said. 
 
The government ignored international calls for clemency and pushed ahead with its plans. 
 
&quot;I have not heard of any diplomatic pressures but only appeals, and I don&#39;t feel like I was pressured. We must enforce and respect the rule of law in our country, surely it&#39;s our dignity,&quot; said Prasetyo. 
 
At least two prisoners among that group of 10, a Pakistani national and an Indonesian woman, have applied for presidential clemency, their representatives said. They said legal proceedings could take a long time. 
 
(Reuters) 
&nbsp;

Indonesia's Attorney General says the execution of 10 drug convicts is suspended due to judicial and non-judicial review

Indonesia's Attorney General said the execution of at least 10 convicts on Friday (July 29) will be suspended pending further reviews. Four drug traffickers, three Nigerians and one Indonesian, were executed by firing squad during a thunderstorm shortly after midnight earlier today at the prison Island of Nusakambangan. Initially Attorney General Muhammad Prasetyo said 14 convicted drug traffickers, including citizens of India, Pakistan, and Zimbabwe, would be executed. "After we've done the assessment we decided that four people needed to be executed in the early hours today, while the ten other people will be decided later. This suspension was decided through comprehensive assessment and careful thought to avoid any possible mistakes from the judicial aspect and non-judicial aspect." said Prasetyo during a news conference in Jakarta. Gurdip Singh of India was among the 10 convicts that were facing execution in a drug peddling case. Singh was found guilty by an Indonesian court and handed death penalty in 2005. The date for the next round of executions has not been set, Prasetyo said. The government ignored international calls for clemency and pushed ahead with its plans. "I have not heard of any diplomatic pressures but only appeals, and I don't feel like I was pressured. We must enforce and respect the rule of law in our country, surely it's our dignity," said Prasetyo. At least two prisoners among that group of 10, a Pakistani national and an Indonesian woman, have applied for presidential clemency, their representatives said. They said legal proceedings could take a long time. (Reuters)

Relief for Indian national as Indonesia suspends execution of 10 convicts

India on Thursday said it is making all efforts to save one of its nationals facing death sentence in Indonesia. 
 
Fourteen drug convicts, including nationals of Nigeria, Zimbabwe and Pakistan, are set to be executed in Indonesia today. 
 
Gurdip Singh of India was arrested 14 years ago in a drug peddling case. Singh was found guilty by an Indonesian court and handed death penalty in 2005. 
&nbsp;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Indian Ambassador in Indonesia has informed me that Gurdip Singh whose execution was fixed for last night, has not been executed.
&mdash; Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) <a href="https://twitter.com/SushmaSwaraj/status/758875253451829249">July 29, 2016</a></blockquote>
<script async src="~/platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8" type="text/javascript"></script> 
Spokesperson of India&#39;s foreign ministry, Vikas Swarup, said the government was trying to reach out to Indonesian authorities in the matter. 
 
&quot;Even as we speak, our embassy officials, consular officials are camping in Cilacap and have met Shri Gurdip Singh. We have reached out to the foreign office. We are trying to reach out to the senior leadership of Indonesia. We are also in constant touch with his wife and brother in India and keeping them informed of the current situation,&quot; said Swarup in New Delhi. 
 
Swarup added Singh&#39;s legal representative has advised him to file for presidential clemency under the relevant law. 
 
&quot;Gurdip Singh is facing death sentence in a drug case in Indonesia. We are making last minute efforts to save him from execution on July 28,&quot; tweeted India&#39;s Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj on Wednesday (July 27). 
 
Singh&#39;s family in northern Jalandhar city of Punjab also sought his release. 
 
&quot;He has spent so many years in jail. I now appeal to send him back. He has not even seen (some of his) his children till date,&quot; said Singh&#39;s wife, Kulwinder Kaur. 
 
News of the impending executions prompted condemnation from the United Nations and the European Union. 
 
Indonesia, which is among Southeast Asia&#39;s biggest markets for narcotics, has declared a &quot;drug emergency&quot; and vowed no mercy for drug traffickers. 
 
It provoked international outrage in April last year with the execution of eight drug traffickers, seven among them foreigners, following the 2013 end of a five-year temporary halt in the practice. 
 
(Reuters) 
&nbsp;

India said it is making all efforts to reach out to Indonesia to save its national, Gurdip Singh, facing death sentence for drug trafficking

India on Thursday said it is making all efforts to save one of its nationals facing death sentence in Indonesia. Fourteen drug convicts, including nationals of Nigeria, Zimbabwe and Pakistan, are set to be executed in Indonesia today. Gurdip Singh of India was arrested 14 years ago in a drug peddling case. Singh was found guilty by an Indonesian court and handed death penalty in 2005. Indian Ambassador in Indonesia has informed me that Gurdip Singh whose execution was fixed for last night, has not been executed. — Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) July 29, 2016 Spokesperson of India's foreign ministry, Vikas Swarup, said the government was trying to reach out to Indonesian authorities in the matter. "Even as we speak, our embassy officials, consular officials are camping in Cilacap and have met Shri Gurdip Singh. We have reached out to the foreign office. We are trying to reach out to the senior leadership of Indonesia. We are also in constant touch with his wife and brother in India and keeping them informed of the current situation," said Swarup in New Delhi. Swarup added Singh's legal representative has advised him to file for presidential clemency under the relevant law. "Gurdip Singh is facing death sentence in a drug case in Indonesia. We are making last minute efforts to save him from execution on July 28," tweeted India's Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj on Wednesday (July 27). Singh's family in northern Jalandhar city of Punjab also sought his release. "He has spent so many years in jail. I now appeal to send him back. He has not even seen (some of his) his children till date," said Singh's wife, Kulwinder Kaur. News of the impending executions prompted condemnation from the United Nations and the European Union. Indonesia, which is among Southeast Asia's biggest markets for narcotics, has declared a "drug emergency" and vowed no mercy for drug traffickers. It provoked international outrage in April last year with the execution of eight drug traffickers, seven among them foreigners, following the 2013 end of a five-year temporary halt in the practice. (Reuters)

Indonesia executions: India intervenes, Gurdip Singh hanging suspended until further review

Indonesia executed four convicted drug traffickers, three of them Nigerians, in the early hours of Friday, leaving the fate of 10 others uncertain. 
 
The Africans and an Indonesian man were shot by firing squad during a thunderstorm shortly after midnight on Nusakambangan Island in&nbsp;Central Java, as the government ignored international calls for clemency and pushed ahead with what it considers a war on drugs. 
 
The attorney general said on Wednesday that 14 prisoners, including citizens of India, Pakistan, and Zimbabwe, would be executed this weekend. 
 
An official said on Friday the planned executions would go ahead &quot;in stages&quot; but declined to give a timeframe. 
 
Security was stepped up at the Indonesian embassy in Nigerian capital Abuja on Thursday as protesters gathered to urge Indonesia to halt the executions. Indian and Pakistani officials said they were making last-minute efforts to save their citizens. 
 
&quot;We considered several factors and decided that for now four death row inmates would be executed,&quot; Noor Rachmad, an official at the attorney general&#39;s office, told reporters shortly after Friday&#39;s executions. 
 
Just over a year ago, Indonesia executed 14 prisoners, mostly foreign drugs offenders, causing diplomatic outrage. 
 
Rights activists and governments have again called on Indonesia to abolish the death penalty. 
 
The death penalty is widely accepted by the Indonesian public, but police on Thursday had to break up a protest outside the prison by members of a migrant workers group who called for mercy for an Indonesian woman who was scheduled to be executed. 
 
Around 152 people remain on death row in the country, including convicted drug traffickers from the Philippines, France and Britain. 
 
Authorities plan to execute 16 prisoners this year and more than double that number in 2017. 
 
(Reuters) 
&nbsp;

The fate of remaining 10 drug convicts expected to face the firing squad still uncertain

Indonesia executed four convicted drug traffickers, three of them Nigerians, in the early hours of Friday, leaving the fate of 10 others uncertain. The Africans and an Indonesian man were shot by firing squad during a thunderstorm shortly after midnight on Nusakambangan Island in Central Java, as the government ignored international calls for clemency and pushed ahead with what it considers a war on drugs. The attorney general said on Wednesday that 14 prisoners, including citizens of India, Pakistan, and Zimbabwe, would be executed this weekend. An official said on Friday the planned executions would go ahead "in stages" but declined to give a timeframe. Security was stepped up at the Indonesian embassy in Nigerian capital Abuja on Thursday as protesters gathered to urge Indonesia to halt the executions. Indian and Pakistani officials said they were making last-minute efforts to save their citizens. "We considered several factors and decided that for now four death row inmates would be executed," Noor Rachmad, an official at the attorney general's office, told reporters shortly after Friday's executions. Just over a year ago, Indonesia executed 14 prisoners, mostly foreign drugs offenders, causing diplomatic outrage. Rights activists and governments have again called on Indonesia to abolish the death penalty. The death penalty is widely accepted by the Indonesian public, but police on Thursday had to break up a protest outside the prison by members of a migrant workers group who called for mercy for an Indonesian woman who was scheduled to be executed. Around 152 people remain on death row in the country, including convicted drug traffickers from the Philippines, France and Britain. Authorities plan to execute 16 prisoners this year and more than double that number in 2017. (Reuters)

Indonesia executes one local, 3 Nigerian drug convicts

Somsak Sreesomsong was 18 when he was jailed for selling illegal drugs. Now, turning 30, he is not yet half way through his 33-year sentence at Bangkok&#39;s high-security Klong Prem prison. 
 
Somsak was &quot;just a kid, not a big-time dealer&quot;, his older brother Panit told Reuters after a visit to the jail. &quot;We&#39;re also serving time, waiting for him to get out so he can help the family.&quot; 
 
More than a decade after Thailand declared a &quot;war on drugs&quot;, the country is admitting defeat. As the prison population soars, Justice Minister Paiboon Koomchaya told Reuters he was looking at changes to the country&#39;s draconian drug laws. 
 
&quot;I want to de-classify methamphetamine but Thailand is not ready yet,&quot; said Paiboon, meaning downgrading the drug, popularly known as &quot;meth&quot;, from a Category 1 substance, which would reduce jail time for possession or dealing. 
 
Use of methamphetamine is spiralling across Southeast Asia, and authorities are struggling to respond. 
 
In the Philippines, which has some of the highest rates of &quot;meth&quot; use, police killings of drug suspects have spiked since the swearing-in of President Rodrigo Duterte, elected on a platform of harsh measures to wipe out drug crime. 
 
Myanmar, the source of much of the drugs flooding through the region, is bracing for an explosion in domestic use.&nbsp;Overall, drugs supply in Southeast Asia, especially of methamphetamine, is at a record level, according to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). 
 
Harsh punishments 
 
In common with much of the region, Thailand&#39;s criminal justice system treats drug offenders harshly.&nbsp;Producing and trading in Category 1 drugs, which also include heroin, MDMA - the main chemical for ecstasy pills - and LSD, is punishable by death or life imprisonment. 
 
Klong Prem is home to 6,267 inmates serving sentences that range from 15 years to life, with 64 per cent convicted of drug-related crimes.&nbsp;A typical cell measures 5 x 10 feet and sleeps five inmates, side-by-side on dark blue mattress on the floor. 
 
&quot;Some of the men, especially the foreign prisoners, are pretty big, so it&#39;s a squeeze for them,&quot; said one prison guard. 
 
Lengthy sentences for drug offences are part of the reason why Thai jails struggle with chronic overcrowding, according to both Justice Minister Paiboon and UN experts. 
 
Thailand has approximately 40 per cent of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations&#39; prison population, despite having only 10 per cent of the bloc&#39;s total population, the UNODC says. 
 
Paiboon, an army general and senior member of the junta that seized power in a 2014 coup, said in an interview that Thailand would build more prisons, including 17 temporary jails for prisoners who have served at least a third of their sentence. 
 
He added that his priority was to tackle drug trafficking and addiction - an ambitious plan in a country where a record number of people use methamphetamines, known in Thai as &quot;ya ba&quot; or &quot;crazy medicine&quot;, according to a 2015 UN report. 
 
A crackdown launched by former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra in 2003 aimed at suppressing drug trafficking killed more than 2,800 people, according to an independent inquiry chaired by a former attorney general. 
 
But the country&#39;s growing number of drug users and bulging jails have forced policymakers to think again. 
 
&quot;The world has lost the war on drugs, not only Thailand,&quot; said Paiboon. &quot;We have clear numbers that drug use has increased over the past three years. Another indicator is there are more prisoners.&quot; 
 
Crisis point 
 
A 2015 report by the Institute for Criminal Policy Research shows Thailand has the fourth highest number of women imprisoned in the world, after the United States, China and Russia. 
 
&quot;We know from meeting and interviewing prisoners, including female prisoners, in Thailand, that the impact is profoundly negative for families,&quot; said Jeremy Douglas, the UNODC&#39;s Asia-Pacific chief. 
 
One former female inmate, who declined to be named because of the social stigma attached to drug offenders in Thailand, said she was jailed for three years after being caught with 20 methamphetamine pills. 
 
&quot;My boyfriend was the dealer. I was carrying the pills for him. My son doesn&#39;t want anything to do with me now,&quot; she said. 
 
The number of inmates jailed for drug convictions has almost doubled over the past decade, Thai Department of Corrections figures showed, a result of unsparing sentencing that puts even petty users behind bars. 
 
&quot;We need to change sentencing and make a distinction between small and big time dealers,&quot; said Klong Prem prison commander Thawatchai Chaiywat. &quot;Thailand thinks prisons are a panacea for all crimes, including drug crimes.&quot; 
 
In the meantime, Thailand&#39;s jails grow ever more crowded. Corrections department figures for July showed a prison population of 321,347, with around 70 per cent jailed for drugs offences. 
 
Institute for Criminal Policy Research data showed Thailand has the eighth highest incarceration rate in the world. 
 
&quot;The situation has approached a noticeable crisis point,&quot; said UNODC chief Douglas. &quot;The reality is that talk has not yet moved to action and the prison population is still growing.&quot; ($1 = 35.1100 baht) 
 
(Reuters)

Corrections department figures show 70 per cent of prison population jailed for drugs offences. Even petty offenders are sentenced harshly

Somsak Sreesomsong was 18 when he was jailed for selling illegal drugs. Now, turning 30, he is not yet half way through his 33-year sentence at Bangkok's high-security Klong Prem prison. Somsak was "just a kid, not a big-time dealer", his older brother Panit told Reuters after a visit to the jail. "We're also serving time, waiting for him to get out so he can help the family." More than a decade after Thailand declared a "war on drugs", the country is admitting defeat. As the prison population soars, Justice Minister Paiboon Koomchaya told Reuters he was looking at changes to the country's draconian drug laws. "I want to de-classify methamphetamine but Thailand is not ready yet," said Paiboon, meaning downgrading the drug, popularly known as "meth", from a Category 1 substance, which would reduce jail time for possession or dealing. Use of methamphetamine is spiralling across Southeast Asia, and authorities are struggling to respond. In the Philippines, which has some of the highest rates of "meth" use, police killings of drug suspects have spiked since the swearing-in of President Rodrigo Duterte, elected on a platform of harsh measures to wipe out drug crime. Myanmar, the source of much of the drugs flooding through the region, is bracing for an explosion in domestic use. Overall, drugs supply in Southeast Asia, especially of methamphetamine, is at a record level, according to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). Harsh punishments In common with much of the region, Thailand's criminal justice system treats drug offenders harshly. Producing and trading in Category 1 drugs, which also include heroin, MDMA - the main chemical for ecstasy pills - and LSD, is punishable by death or life imprisonment. Klong Prem is home to 6,267 inmates serving sentences that range from 15 years to life, with 64 per cent convicted of drug-related crimes. A typical cell measures 5 x 10 feet and sleeps five inmates, side-by-side on dark blue mattress on the floor. "Some of the men, especially the foreign prisoners, are pretty big, so it's a squeeze for them," said one prison guard. Lengthy sentences for drug offences are part of the reason why Thai jails struggle with chronic overcrowding, according to both Justice Minister Paiboon and UN experts. Thailand has approximately 40 per cent of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations' prison population, despite having only 10 per cent of the bloc's total population, the UNODC says. Paiboon, an army general and senior member of the junta that seized power in a 2014 coup, said in an interview that Thailand would build more prisons, including 17 temporary jails for prisoners who have served at least a third of their sentence. He added that his priority was to tackle drug trafficking and addiction - an ambitious plan in a country where a record number of people use methamphetamines, known in Thai as "ya ba" or "crazy medicine", according to a 2015 UN report. A crackdown launched by former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra in 2003 aimed at suppressing drug trafficking killed more than 2,800 people, according to an independent inquiry chaired by a former attorney general. But the country's growing number of drug users and bulging jails have forced policymakers to think again. "The world has lost the war on drugs, not only Thailand," said Paiboon. "We have clear numbers that drug use has increased over the past three years. Another indicator is there are more prisoners." Crisis point A 2015 report by the Institute for Criminal Policy Research shows Thailand has the fourth highest number of women imprisoned in the world, after the United States, China and Russia. "We know from meeting and interviewing prisoners, including female prisoners, in Thailand, that the impact is profoundly negative for families," said Jeremy Douglas, the UNODC's Asia-Pacific chief. One former female inmate, who declined to be named because of the social stigma attached to drug offenders in Thailand, said she was jailed for three years after being caught with 20 methamphetamine pills. "My boyfriend was the dealer. I was carrying the pills for him. My son doesn't want anything to do with me now," she said. The number of inmates jailed for drug convictions has almost doubled over the past decade, Thai Department of Corrections figures showed, a result of unsparing sentencing that puts even petty users behind bars. "We need to change sentencing and make a distinction between small and big time dealers," said Klong Prem prison commander Thawatchai Chaiywat. "Thailand thinks prisons are a panacea for all crimes, including drug crimes." In the meantime, Thailand's jails grow ever more crowded. Corrections department figures for July showed a prison population of 321,347, with around 70 per cent jailed for drugs offences. Institute for Criminal Policy Research data showed Thailand has the eighth highest incarceration rate in the world. "The situation has approached a noticeable crisis point," said UNODC chief Douglas. "The reality is that talk has not yet moved to action and the prison population is still growing." ($1 = 35.1100 baht) (Reuters)

Soaring prison population prompts Thailand to re-think 'lost' drug war

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