European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - September 14, 1985, Darmstadt, Hesse Page 8 the stars and stripes saturday september 14, 1985 Thailand now big source of High Grade marijuana adorn Thailand a already a major source of illicit heroin. Thailand has become a major source for a Premium variety of marijuana for users in the United Stales. Australia and other countries according to and thai investigators. One Early bit of evidence of this came last new year s Day when a . Coast guard Cutter alerted by Ameri can and thai narcotics agents intercepted the 145-fool vessel Pacific Star heading for the Pacific coast of North America. The vessel in an apparent attempt to avoid capture rammed the Cutter and Sank. Before it went Down . Authorities Sci cd its seven Man Crew and salvaged some of the estimated 20 tons of High Grade marijuana grown 5.500 Miks away in Thailand. The australian embassy in Thailand says a fair percentage of marijuana consumed in Australia is smuggled from Thailand. Australian growers the embassy says could Supply All of the country s demand but the thai product is Superior and much sought after. A senior . Narcotics official who spoke Only on condition of anonymity because of the nature of his assign ment said american criminal elements arc involved with thai crime syndicates and arc offering instructions on advanced marijuana growing Lechnir ques. He would not identify the criminal suspects any further. We have not yet been Able to penetrate connections Between the thais and foreign financiers said Gen. Cha Valit Yao Manee head of Thailand s office of the narcotics control Board. He added thai he suspects actual marijuana transfers Are being made from Small thai Craft to foreign Ocean going vessels on the High seas. He said however he had no information on any american traffickers in Thailand. Thailand s heroin Supply comes from opium poppies grown in the Golden Triangle where the Borders of Burma Laos and Northern Thailand meet. The marijuana comes largely from Thailand s North Eastern provinces the to orcs Region of the country where yearly per capita income is the equivalent of $270. P i the thais have launched a scarch and destroy Cam sign in the area but Chavalit said in an interview it s like cancer. You Start culling in one area and in spreads to another. And marijuana can be grown almost anywhere in according to his control Board 200 tons of marijuana Curc destroyed in 1983 while last year the amount scared to 2,500 tons. Most of it was destroyed by thai teams that Cut it by hand. Chavalit said plans were being made to use Salel Lile photography to detect the Fields. The searches now arc made by observation from helicopters. A major reason cited by thai officials for the Anli Mari Juana drive is a concern that the Vasi profile from the Trade would Stock War chests of corrupt politicians and others As occurred earlier with heroin Money in Northern Thailand. Marijuana is not new to Thailand. It is a traditional condiment used in certain curries and has been relatively common at the lower end of the social spectrum. Extra amounts were grown to Cater to american sol Diers Slation cd in Thailand during the Vietnam War years. The soldiers now have been partly replaced by younger foreign tourists who regard smoking potent Buddha Sticks As Parl of their thai the Export of marijuana is relatively recent though. Maj. Siri of the Border patrol police in adorn said the largest Quantity of top Grade marijuana used to be grown in Nanon phanom province bordering communist Laos but suppression drives there led to a shift to Sakhon Nakhson also in the Northeast. He added that Middle men apparently provide Farmers with funds for fertilizer and other needs and then haul the harvested plants by truck along excellent roads to the Gulf of Thailand Seaboard where the trafficking vessels arc waiting. According to the thai investigators a Farmer in the Northeast receives about 1,800 baht $69 for an acre of Rice but More than 10 times thai by growing an acre of marijuana. Flying Lawnmower this Lawnmower stems co hate found a Way to defy Gravity. But it s really a special Model air plane built of Wood and plastic Fatm. I is Shoffn during in exhibition of Model air planes in Tri Engin Switzerland. French foreign minister gets painful Welcome to local fair peril eur France up foreign minister Roland Dumas got a handshake he won t forget from an angry celebrity of a different Stripe. Dumas was taken to Hospital for treatment of a bad Gash on his Little Finger after attempting to Pel an adult Tiger on display at a local exhibition ground. Dubai Wai part of an official delegation opening the annual fair of the peril eur Region of southwestern France when he stopped to Admire the Tiger. The exhibition s Star attraction Wai kept in a Large Cage. The foreign minister reached through the bars to pet the animal but it swiped at his hand opening a deep Cut on his left Little Finger. Dumas was treated at the local Hospital and returned to the show before the inauguration ceremony ended. 747 makes emergency Landing when 1 of its 4 engines fails London a a Boeing 747 Jet in route from London to Copenhagen Denmark made an emergency Landing shortly after Takeoff from Heathrow Airport when one of us four engines failed. The trans world airlines jumbo Jet had earlier flown into London from Boston with 309 passengers aboard and was continuing on to the danish capital with 94 Parisen Gers when the outer left engine failed airline and Airport officials said. The Pilot capt. Donald k. Still said one of the tur Bines in the Pratt and Whitney engine failed. He Wai forced to shut Down the engine and turn Back to Heath Row he said. Fire engines and ambulances lined the runway at Heathrow As flight tw754 made a Safe Landing a Twa spokesman said. Emergency vehicles followed the Jet As it taxied normally to the terminal. Frenchman flies ultralight to record height of 26,410 feet Hagenau. France a Frenchman Philippe cock has claimed a new world Altitude record for ultralight aircraft powered hang gliders by reaching 26,410 feet More than 1,970 feet above the Mark he set last month. , 27, set he new Mark in an american made Falcon Ultra Light in a 100-Minulc flight. The 321-Pound Craft was equipped with a special 51 horsepower engine made in Austria. Lecocq said the flight was easy despite the fact the engine slopped at the record height Ana he had to Glide Back Down. The of minus 25 degrees fahrenheit was the biggest problem. His flight was officially observed by a French member of the International aeronautics federation. Tourism booming in Italy 85 could be Best year Ever Rome a More than 50 million foreigners will have visited Italy by the end of 1985, which is shaping up As a Boom year for the Louril Industry the federation travel agents said. Tourism during the first eight months of the year is up nearly 3 percent Over 1984 and tourism revenues Are expected to reach $8.5 billion according to federation presi Dent Antonio Rigillo. This is one of the happiest years Ever for our tourism said Rigillo adding thai he expects revenues to equal or pass those of 1982, the record year for tourism. European parliament urged to condemn Dwarf tossing Strasbourg France a. An italian communist Deputy asked the european parliament to condemn what she said is the new australian pastime of Dwarf tossing and to push for a ban on the Sporl. Vera Squarcialupi said the Assembly must condemn most strongly the commercial exploitation of As she described it the Competition consists ofas3,, per?1i ? a growth la Dwarf. To impossible and that los is done by particularly robust of Fol sad n 8 la a australian organizers a in arc rullln.8 dwarfs in Europe for the upcoming International championship. Vern mint inc said. Must be urged to
