Myanmar's crackdown on illicit drug trafficking gets momentum
Sunday, 9 August 2009
YANGON, Aug. 7 (Xinhua): The Myanmar authorities' crackdown on drug trafficking has gotten momentum with Thursday's official report saying that it has seized large amount of WY- brand stimulant tablets in the former capital of Yangon and the border town of Tachilek in its latest anti-drug campaign.
About 20,000 stimulant tablets were confiscated at the Yangon International Airport on Aug. 1 from a passenger taking a domestic flight of Air Mandalay bound for Sittway, western Rakhine state, said the New Light of Myanmar.
A man in connection was arrested and efforts are being made to expose his accomplices, it added.
On the same day, according to the official report, local anti- drug squad seized 200,000 similar brand of stimulants in Tachilek in eastern Shan state opposite to Thailand's Maesai when they intercepted and searched two motorbikes driving from Monghsat to Tachilek.
Two culprits were arrested and further action are being taken against them.
Earlier on July 10, the Myanmar authorities also seized a total of 761.95 kilograms of heroin at a Tachilek border check point from a Nissan truck by the local special anti-drug squad while it was intercepted for search. Along with the seizure was also 340, 000 stimulants.
Three people in connection were arrested for punishment. The Myanmar authorities have warned that some newly developed drugs such as ATS tablets, Ketamine, ICE, Ectasy have come into existence, momentum of Myanmar's anti- drug efforts have to be raised.
According to its latest monthly seizure record, the authorities punished 368 people, including 66 women, in connection with 231 drug-related-cases exposed in June.
Of the total, heroin cases stood the most in number with 74, with opium's 18 and marijuana's 17.
Other figures indicate that during this year's poppy cultivation season, 4,000 hectares of poppy plantations in the country have so far been destroyed.
These poppy plantations were wiped out in a number of areas in Shan state such as Lashio, Hsenwi, Mongyan, Namtu, Mongton, Namhkam, Kutkai, Phekhon, Loilem and Pinlaung and Pekhon.
During last year's same season, a total of 4,821 hectares of poppy plantations in Myanmar were destroyed, preventing the production of 52.39 tons of opium.
The number of drug users in Myanmar had also decreased from 61, 455 in 2005 to 52,687 in January 2009.
To mark the June 26 International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, the Myanmar authorities burned a total of 103 million U.S. dollars worth of seized narcotic drugs in three areas of the country's Shan state-Taunggyi, Lashio and Kengtung
A total of 111 kinds of narcotic drugs were destroyed in the three areas, according to then report.
A Myanmar-US joint ground survey revealed that Myanmar's opium cultivated area increased again by 3 per cent to 28,500 hectares in 2008 from 27,700 hectares in 2007.
However, opium production dropped by 11 per cent to 410 tons in 2008 from 460 tons in 2007.
Three more rehabilitation centers for young drug users have been added in Yangon as part of the country's anti-drug measures.
Myanmar has been implementing a 15-year plan (1999-2014) to totally eradicate poppy in three phases, each running for five years, and it has now entered into the final five-year phase of the plan (2009-2014).
"Respective work groups are now fully engaged in medical treatment and rehabilitation of drug addicts with the opening of youth rehabilitation centers namely Shwepyitha, Shwepyiaye and Shwepyithit under the supervision of the Central Committee for Drug Abuse Control (CCDAC) in addition to measures for supply elimination and law enforcement," the official report said.
Myanmar holds that the country's cooperation with members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) at the regional level is to work for reaching its common goal of making the region free from drugs by 2015.
Its cooperation with the six Mekong countries is for the creation of a Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) Drug-Free Zone by the year 2014, one year ahead set by ASEAN.
Myanmar maintains that drug problem, which is closely linked to transnational crimes including terrorism, is a global problem and can be addressed through close international cooperation, adding that national efforts must be complemented by cooperative efforts both at the regional and international level.
Myanmar declared three regions of Mongla, Kokang and Wa as poppy-free zones in 1997, 2003 and 2005 respectively.
About 20,000 stimulant tablets were confiscated at the Yangon International Airport on Aug. 1 from a passenger taking a domestic flight of Air Mandalay bound for Sittway, western Rakhine state, said the New Light of Myanmar.
A man in connection was arrested and efforts are being made to expose his accomplices, it added.
On the same day, according to the official report, local anti- drug squad seized 200,000 similar brand of stimulants in Tachilek in eastern Shan state opposite to Thailand's Maesai when they intercepted and searched two motorbikes driving from Monghsat to Tachilek.
Two culprits were arrested and further action are being taken against them.
Earlier on July 10, the Myanmar authorities also seized a total of 761.95 kilograms of heroin at a Tachilek border check point from a Nissan truck by the local special anti-drug squad while it was intercepted for search. Along with the seizure was also 340, 000 stimulants.
Three people in connection were arrested for punishment. The Myanmar authorities have warned that some newly developed drugs such as ATS tablets, Ketamine, ICE, Ectasy have come into existence, momentum of Myanmar's anti- drug efforts have to be raised.
According to its latest monthly seizure record, the authorities punished 368 people, including 66 women, in connection with 231 drug-related-cases exposed in June.
Of the total, heroin cases stood the most in number with 74, with opium's 18 and marijuana's 17.
Other figures indicate that during this year's poppy cultivation season, 4,000 hectares of poppy plantations in the country have so far been destroyed.
These poppy plantations were wiped out in a number of areas in Shan state such as Lashio, Hsenwi, Mongyan, Namtu, Mongton, Namhkam, Kutkai, Phekhon, Loilem and Pinlaung and Pekhon.
During last year's same season, a total of 4,821 hectares of poppy plantations in Myanmar were destroyed, preventing the production of 52.39 tons of opium.
The number of drug users in Myanmar had also decreased from 61, 455 in 2005 to 52,687 in January 2009.
To mark the June 26 International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, the Myanmar authorities burned a total of 103 million U.S. dollars worth of seized narcotic drugs in three areas of the country's Shan state-Taunggyi, Lashio and Kengtung
A total of 111 kinds of narcotic drugs were destroyed in the three areas, according to then report.
A Myanmar-US joint ground survey revealed that Myanmar's opium cultivated area increased again by 3 per cent to 28,500 hectares in 2008 from 27,700 hectares in 2007.
However, opium production dropped by 11 per cent to 410 tons in 2008 from 460 tons in 2007.
Three more rehabilitation centers for young drug users have been added in Yangon as part of the country's anti-drug measures.
Myanmar has been implementing a 15-year plan (1999-2014) to totally eradicate poppy in three phases, each running for five years, and it has now entered into the final five-year phase of the plan (2009-2014).
"Respective work groups are now fully engaged in medical treatment and rehabilitation of drug addicts with the opening of youth rehabilitation centers namely Shwepyitha, Shwepyiaye and Shwepyithit under the supervision of the Central Committee for Drug Abuse Control (CCDAC) in addition to measures for supply elimination and law enforcement," the official report said.
Myanmar holds that the country's cooperation with members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) at the regional level is to work for reaching its common goal of making the region free from drugs by 2015.
Its cooperation with the six Mekong countries is for the creation of a Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) Drug-Free Zone by the year 2014, one year ahead set by ASEAN.
Myanmar maintains that drug problem, which is closely linked to transnational crimes including terrorism, is a global problem and can be addressed through close international cooperation, adding that national efforts must be complemented by cooperative efforts both at the regional and international level.
Myanmar declared three regions of Mongla, Kokang and Wa as poppy-free zones in 1997, 2003 and 2005 respectively.