Southeast Asia is now a ‘tycoon of methamphetamine production’

A police officer explains about illegal drugs seized during a destruction ceremony outside Yangon, Myanmar in June 2020 – Photo: AP

According to data released by the United Nations Office on drug and crime (UNODC) announced on May 30, the “Golden Triangle” area on the borders of Myanmar, Laos and Thailand in Southeast Asia is a dangerous hot spot for drug trafficking.

Law enforcement forces of many countries have seized nearly 172 tons of meth (methamphetamine), a sevenfold increase from a decade ago. The skyrocketing supply of the drug has sent the price of the drug on the black market in Thailand and Malaysia to all-time lows.

The UNODC Representative in Southeast Asia and the Pacific Region, Mr. Jeremy Douglas, emphasized the scale and scope of the methamphetamine and methamphetamine trade in East and Southeast Asia as a cause for concern.

“I think the area is literally swimming in methamphetamine,” said Jeremy Douglas at a press conference in the Thai capital Bangkok, when he released a report on “Synthetic drugs in the East and Southeast Asia”.

Criminal organizations and armed groups have taken advantage of the political unrest and the COVID-19 pandemic to increase their activity. He stressed that criminal organizations have all the resources they need to continue to expand their drug trafficking networks.

According to Ms. Kavinvadee Suppapongtevasakul – UNODC’s general drug analyst, the sharp drop in the price of meth has made it easier for addicts to buy them and sink deeper into addiction. The social consequences of this situation are very worrying.