A small Buddhist temple in Thailand has reportedly been left without any monks after all of them failed drug testing, according to reports.
Per the BBC, four monks - including the abbot, the head of the monastery - in northern Thailand's Phetchabun province were found to have tested positive for methamphetamine.
Following their failed urine tests, which were administered on Monday, the monks were subsequently defrocked and sent to a health clinic to undergo drug rehabilitation, district official Boonlert Thintapthai told AFP.
Thintapthai has since stated that: "The temple is now empty of monks and nearby villagers are concerned they cannot do any merit-making," referring to the Buddhist practice of donating food to monks as a good deed.
He added that more monks were sent to the temple so local worshippers were able to take part in merit-making and practice religious observations.
Regional officials had solicited the assistance of a local monastic leader who was able to transfer monks to the temple in the Bung Sam Phan district, Economic Times reported.
The drug testing was part of Thailand's national crackdown on drug trafficking, though it was not revealed what had brought police attention to the temple.
ABC News detailed that the country is a major transit place for methamphetamine, arriving in the country from Myanmar via Laos. On the streets, pills can sell for just $0.50 or 20 baht.
In 2021, the Centre for Strategic and International Studies found that methamphetamine seizures in Thailand hit an all-time high, with one billion pills seized - almost eight times the weight of those found a decade ago.
The whole Asia-Pacific drug trade is reportedly worth $61.4 billion and 90% of tablets seized come from Thailand, Myanmar, Laos, and Cambodia.
Thailand has consistently ranked first in drug-related arrests and methamphetamine seizures. In fact, in 2021, the country made one of its biggest seizures of heroin - confiscating over 600 pounds of the drug worth up to $29 million, which had been bound for Australia.
Following COVID lockdowns - which contributed to Thailand's long-term unemployment statistics - the trade and consumption of illicit drugs reached an all-time high, per the Inquirer.
The nation is widely known for its tough stance on drug-related crimes - possession of even 20 grams of a Class A drug can earn offenders the death penalty, Gov.uk detailed.
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