BANGKOK: Thailand's Premier vowed yesterday to step up an anti-narcotics campaign, and defended ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra against accusations that his drug war was mired in extra-judicial killings.

Mr Somchai Wongsawat said he was launching a 90-day campaign aimed at reducing drug use and trafficking in an extension of a crackdown initially started by his brother-in-law Thaksin, who was ousted in a coup in 2006.

'In the next 90 days, the government will reduce the number of drug users and will intercept drugs from entering Thailand, but there will be no extra-judicial killings,' Mr Somchai told justice and police officials.

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