Thailand to review pardon rules after release of 85-year-old drug lord brings backlash
Thailand’s justice minister pledged on Tuesday 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…
Thailand's justice minister vowed on Tuesday to reassess drug trafficking pardon policies after the release of an 85-year-old drug lord sparked public outrage. Laota Saenlee, a former anti-communist guerrilla transplanted into the drug trade and linked to powerful Myanmar drug kingpins, was sentenced to life in prison but served less than a decade before being released on royal pardons in 2023.
The Golden Triangle, where Thailand, Myanmar and Laos converge, is notorious for its role as a global drug trafficking hub, with estimated annual hauls of tens of billions of dollars' worth of narcotics. Laota's pardon, granted due to his age and exemplary conduct, has drawn harsh criticism from former narcotics officials, who deem him a "major drug dealer" ineligible for an early release.
Justice Minister Rutthapon Naowarat acknowledged flaws in the pardon criteria and ordered an investigation into the case.
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