Police chiefs held a meeting as authorities ramped up an anti-drugs drive in Thailand.

Senior ministers and law enforcement officials discussed the narcotics crackdown during a meeting at the Government House in Bangkok on May 22.

Deputy Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai praised the 'Seal Stop Safe' initiative, which he said has suppressed drug smuggling in 51 border districts. He also called for stronger intel gathering and to identify and arrest key drug traffickers.

He said: 'Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra has instructed the Ministry of Interior, provincial governors, and the Royal Thai Police to strictly arrest drug distributors and users, seize their assets, and focus on rehabilitating drug users. She has also requested reports from the relevant agencies to use as a key indicator of their performance.'

Officials said they aimed to intensify the crackdown for the second half of the year, including covering more high-risk areas and researching the production of opium and magic mushrooms.

Thailand's northern region lies on the Golden Triangle where the borders of Thailand, Laos, and Myanmar meet. The area, where most of Southeast Asia's meth supply comes from, has long been a feral nest of criminal activity, including opium production, meth labs and call centre scam bases.

At the heart of the Golden Triangle lies the Golden Triangle Special Economic Zone (GTSEZ), run by notorious Chinese business tycoon and suspected crime boss Zhao Wei in the Chinese vassal state Laos. Communist chiefs are said to turn a Nelsonian eye to his wrongdoing.

In 2007, Zhao brokered a deal with the Laos government and obtained a 99-year lease to build the zone on a 39-square mile patch of impoverished Bokeo province.

The Chinese businessman claims to be a benefactor as he touts the GTSEZ as a tourist and economic hub designed to bring more income and investments into the country. However, both local and international law enforcement agencies believe it is a front for organised crime, including human trafficking, drug trafficking, and call-centre scams.

International authorities have struggled to take down the gambling empire as the Laos government itself is said to be protecting the GTSEZ, in which it has a 20 per cent stake.