BANGKOK, Sept 10 – Around 50 tonnes of ‘safrole’, or sassafras oil, the substance used as a principle component for ‘ecstasy’ or ‘E’ production, will be destroyed for the first time in Thailand on Monday, according to Justice Minister Peerapan Saleeratwipak.

The burning of the sassafras oil will be carried out cooperatively by the Narcotics Control Board Office, the Thai Customs Department, and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) at Bangpoo Industrial Estate in Samut Prakan province.

Mr Peerapan said the substance was seized in October 2007 at Chonburi province’s Laem Chabang Port, hidden in three containers and was being illegally shipped, two to China and the other to the United States.

Thailand’s Criminal Court ruled in February that the ‘safrole’ must be legally seized and processed according to public health regulations. Such substances are thus to be destroyed by fire due to abundant quantity and as a prevention from being used illegally.

MCOT