Canada
This article was added by the user . TheWorldNews is not responsible for the content of the platform.

Temple in Thailand loses monks after failed drug tests

Hands of monks in prayer.
Hands of monks in prayer.

Just pray no.

A temple in Thailand no longer has monks after their drug tests turned up positive.

As the Canadian national soccer teams head to their respective FIFA World Cups, Derek Van Diest is on the scene to cover all the action. Expect expert insights and analysis in your inbox daily throughout the tournaments, and weekly on Thursdays for the rest of the season.

By clicking on the sign up button you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. You may unsubscribe any time by clicking on the unsubscribe link at the bottom of our emails. Postmedia Network Inc. | 365 Bloor Street East, Toronto, Ontario, M4W 3L4 | 416-383-2300

The monks, which included an abbot, allegedly tested positive for methamphetamine on Monday, a local official told news agency Agence France-Presse, according to the BBC.

The temple, located in Bueng Sam Phan, a district in the northern province of Phetchabun, is vacant – at least, for the time being.

“The temple is now empty of monks and nearby villagers are concerned they cannot do any merit-making,” Boonlert Thintapthai told the news agency.

RECOMMENDED VIDEO

Merit-making is a Buddhist practice in which a protective force is provided to those who perform good deeds. In the case of locals, that involved donating food to the monks.

The local monastic chief is working on assigning other monks to the temple as the four get help in rehab.

The raid comes amid a national campaign to tackle drug trafficking, the BBC reported.

Meth has become a major issue in Thailand, with seizures of the drug reaching a record high in 2021, according to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.

  1. None

    'We were all shocked': Buddhist monk with 4 million meth pills in car, monastery, arrested in Burma

  2. Thai authorities show the result of machine test as they seized 897 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine after Thai customs intercepted packages headed for Taiwan, in Bangkok, Thailand, Dec. 4, 2021.

    Thailand seizes $88 million worth of crystal meth bound for Taiwan

  3. More than 55 million meth tablets and about 1.7 tons of crystal meth were found in the back of a beer delivery truck when Laotian police pulled it over for inspection in Bokeo province.

    $200M worth of drugs found in beer truck in Asia's largest-ever meth seizure

Thailand also happens to be a major trafficking port, with much of the drugs coming in from Myanmar – the world’s largest producer of methamphetamine – via Laos.

Due to its accessibility, street prices for the pills are at an all-time low and can be purchased for less than 20 baht, which works out to be less than a dollar.