Bangkok: The Ministry of Agriculture has dispatched a specialized "Rain God" team to enhance inspections at border checkpoints, focusing on the prevention of illegal durian smuggling and the detection of agricultural products contaminated with banned substances.

According to Thai News Agency, Mr. Suriya Jungrungreangkit, the Minister of Agriculture and Cooperatives, has initiated the formation of a special task force named "Phra Phirun." This task force aims to combat the unauthorized smuggling of frozen durian and other agricultural goods across the border. The move comes in response to recent discoveries of unauthorized durian smuggling activities.

Scheduled for June 17-18, the "Phra Phirun" team will conduct inspections at border checkpoints in the provinces of Mukdahan, Nakhon Phanom, and Ubon Ratchathani. So far, Thailand has successfully exported over 800,000 tons of durian, generating approximately 88 billion baht in revenue. The inspection system has proven effective, with only a single case of dye contamination and cadmium contamination found in just 20 containers, representing a very small fraction of the total exports. This level of control has helped maintain the confidence of international markets in Thailand's durian quality control and inspection processes.