Five Southeast Asian countries seize more than 100 tons of synthetic drugs

Exhibits in the arrest of 11 kg of synthetic drugs by the Hanoi Customs Department in October 2021. Photo: N. Linh.

Accordingly, the volume of heroin seized by competent authorities in East Asia and Southeast Asia was up to 11 tons in 2020.

In particular, six countries of the Mekong Sub-region (China, Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam) accounted for 85%.

The volume of synthetic drugs seized was much larger than 170 tons, of which five countries in Southeast Asia alone: ​​Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam accounted for 71% (equivalent to more than 100 tons).

In China, the amount of crystalline synthetic drugs seized has decreased, while the amount of tablets of synthetic drugs seized is high, averaging 130 million tablets per year.

In Myanmar, the number of drugs seized increases year by year mainly in Shan State, which borders China.

UNODC assessed that the source of illegal drugs and precursors traded and transported through Laos was increasing. In two years (2019, 2020), the number of synthetic drug seizures in the provinces of Laos adjacent to the Northern region of Thailand had increased from 266kg to 5.7 tons, the seizure of precursors had also increased from 19 tons to 120 tons.

According to the assessment of domestic and international drug prevention and control agencies, due to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, criminal organizations often change their operating methods and tricks.

Especially, there is a trend of increasing trading and recycling of synthetic drugs originating from the Golden Triangle area in Cambodia and then transporting it to other countries in the region by sea or land.

Sub-regional countries are also facing an increasing number of new psychotropic substances (NPS) and chemicals that are not on the control list, which are easily exploited to produce illegal drugs.

The source of synthetic drugs is increasing. Recently, many countries have discovered and dismantled many large-scale drug crime lines. Typically, in June 2021, Myanmar police seized 1,710 kg of synthetic drugs, Lao police seized nearly 17 million tablets of synthetic drugs in July 2021.