Tackle Graft, Governance To Stem 'Golden Triangle' Meth Trade: UNODC
Umer Jamshaid Published May 21, 2018 | 12:15 PM
Golden Triangle" countries must address corruption and collaborate more closely to tackle record meth production and the gangs who traffick the drug across Southeast Asia and beyond, the UN said Monday.
Yangon, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 21st May, 2018 ) :"Golden Triangle" countries must address corruption and collaborate more closely to tackle record meth production and the gangs who traffick the drug across Southeast Asia and beyond, the UN said Monday.
From Bangkok to Brisbane, authorities are raking in huge hauls of methamphetamine stimulant pills -- better known as "yaba" -- and the purer, more potent crystallised version known as "ice". They hail from the "Golden Triangle", a lawless wedge of land that intersects China, Laos, Thailand and Myanmar and is the world's second-largest drug-producing region.
Its drug labs -- mainly in Myanmar's conflict-ridden Shan State -- are working overtime, aiding organised crime gangs in their quest for new markets as far away as Australia and Japan. Worth an estimated $40 billion a year, huge volumes of meth pass through the Golden Triangle, waved through by corrupt law enforcement and border controls.
"Ensuring governance and the rule of law will be crucial to any long-term reduction in drug production and trafficking," said Jeremy Douglas, regional representative of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime for Southeast Asia and the Pacific.
"To be candid, it also means addressing the corruption, conditions and vulnerabilities that allow organised crime to keep expanding operations.
" He was speaking in the Myanmar capital Naypyidaw at a rare regional meeting of police and officials who are aiming to forge a new strategy to fight the drug scourge.
In recent months several Myanmar soldiers have been arrested with massive caches of yaba, destined for Bangladesh. Myanmar authorities say they are ready to cooperate with their neighbours to stem the flow of drugs and precursor chemicals used by the cook houses in Shan State.
"A top priority for us, is a regional precursor strategy that will slow the supply of chemicals... into the drug-producing areas of the Golden Triangle," Myanmar's Deputy Home Minister Major General Aung Soe said in a statement.
A surge in supply has seen prices for a single yaba pill plummet to around $2 at its cheapest in Thailand and around $7 in Singapore, according to UNODC figures, raising fears over addiction rates.
The UN agency also urged regional governments to address money laundering, share more intelligence on the drug gangs and offer community-based rehabilitation for addicts and petty dealers rather than jail.
Related Topics
Recent Stories
ICC Womens T20 World Cup Qualifier, Match 2: Ireland Women open with Comfortable ..
Robinson, bowlers help New Zealand go 2-1 up against Pakistan
Shahzeb Chachar to hold khuli kachehri on April 26
Heatwave amid Israel's aggression in Gaza brings new misery, disease risk
Tourism must change, mayor says as Venice launches entry fee
Court adjourns Judicial Complex attack case till May 17
Nasreen Noori’s book ‘Popatan Jahra Khwab’ launched
Wafaqi Mohtasib inspection team visits Excise and taxation office
AJLAC announces 5th Conference titled ‘People’s Mandate: Safeguarding Civil ..
Pak-US officials engage to enhance trade, investment ties
IBCC to promote educational excellence, expand regional presence
Pakistani 'Blue Helmets' serving UN Peacekeeping Mission in DR Congo set to leav ..
More Stories From World
-
Bangladesh children sweat at home as heatwave shuts schools
8 minutes ago -
Iconic shared Olympic gold moment will not be repeated, says Barshim
8 minutes ago -
Bangladesh children sweat at home as heatwave shuts schools
38 minutes ago -
Pakistani 'Blue Helmets' serving UN Peacekeeping Mission in DR Congo set to leave after 20 years of ..
58 minutes ago -
Golf: PGA Zurich Classic of New Orleans scores
1 hour ago -
Slot 'confident' of Liverpool job as 'negotiations' take place
7 hours ago
-
Google parent Alphabet's Q1 profits beat estimates: company
7 hours ago -
WADA asks 'independent prosecutor' to examine Chinese swimmers case
7 hours ago -
New York court overturns Harvey Weinstein sex crime conviction
7 hours ago -
Bagnaia and Spanish rivals chase victory at Jerez
9 hours ago -
Russian, Ukrainian strikes kill at least 10 in frontline regions
9 hours ago -
Heatwave amid Israel's aggression in Gaza brings new misery, disease risk
9 hours ago