In a concerted effort to crack down on illegal drug production and trafficking, Myanmar authorities have obliterated approximately $300 million worth of seized narcotics. This noteworthy destruction included an array of illegal substances such as opium, heroin, methamphetamine, marijuana, ketamine, and crystal meth, as reported during a ceremonial drug-burning event by Brig. Gen. Sein Lwin of the Yangon Police.
This action follows a recent warning issued by U.N. experts regarding unprecedented levels of methamphetamine production and distribution originating from Southeast Asia’s Golden Triangle. This notorious region, where the borders of Myanmar, Laos, and Thailand converge, has historically been a hotbed for the manufacture of opium and heroin. The persistent issue is largely attributed to the chaos reigning in border regions where Myanmar’s central government has historically exerted minimal oversight over various ethnic minority militias, some of whom are reportedly complicit in the drug trade.
The U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime highlighted in a May report that the ongoing political turmoil, intensified by the military takeover in 2021 and the ensuing civil strife, has significantly fueled the expansion of the methamphetamine market. In Yangon, Myanmar’s largest city, a multitude of drugs valued at more than $117 million were incinerated, according to Sein Lwin. Additionally, similar activities marking the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking took place in Mandalay, the second-largest city, and Taunggyi, the capital of Shan state, areas in close proximity to drug production strongholds.
State-run media, MRTV, disclosed on Thursday that a total of 66 different types of seized illegal drugs, valued at an estimated $298 million, were simultaneously incinerated and buried across three key locations. Myanmar’s enduring history of drug production is intertwined with political and economic instability engendered by decades of armed conflict, making it a major conduit of illicit drugs not only to East and Southeast Asia but also increasingly to South Asia, notably Northeast India, as observed by the U.N.
Moreover, the U.N. reported a surge in drug trafficking from Myanmar to Cambodia, frequently passing through Laos or via maritime routes connecting Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Philippines, with Malaysia’s Sabah emerging as a significant transit point. Notably, Myanmar has been identified by the U.N. agency as the leading global producer of opium in 2023, underscoring the persistent challenge of drug stewardship in the region.