2-10-2024 (BANGKOK) The Kingdom of Thailand is facing an unprecedented influx of illegal narcotics from its troubled neighbour, Myanmar, as the ongoing civil war exacerbates the regional drug crisis. Thai authorities report a dramatic spike in seizures of methamphetamines and heroin, painting a grim picture of the burgeoning drug trade’s impact on the region.
Apikit Ch.Rojprasert, deputy secretary-general of Thailand’s Office of the Narcotics Control Board (ONCB), revealed that the northern provinces remain the primary conduit for drug smuggling into the country. Traffickers exploit mountainous terrain and the Mekong River to transport methamphetamine tablets and crystal meth, colloquially known as ‘ice’.
Thai officials allege that organised crime syndicates have forged alliances with militias and rebel groups, establishing ‘super labs’ in Myanmar’s Shan and Kachin States. These clandestine facilities are believed to be the source of the narcotics flooding into Thailand.
The civil unrest in Myanmar, which erupted following the military coup in 2021, has created a fertile ground for the drug trade to flourish. “The drug trade is being used to finance weapon purchases and fuel the ongoing conflict,” Mr Apikit explained in an exclusive interview with Reuters. He emphasised the need for heightened vigilance and increased cooperation with neighbouring countries to combat this growing threat.
The scale of the problem is staggering. In the first eight and a half months of this year, seizures of methamphetamine tablets in Thailand’s northern provinces of Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, and Mae Hong Son skyrocketed by 172% compared to the entire previous year, reaching a staggering 346 million pills. Crystal meth seizures in the same area saw a 39% increase, totalling 6.48 tonnes.
Perhaps most alarming is the resurgence of heroin, with authorities confiscating 327 kilogrammes this year – nearly seven times the amount seized in 2023. This trend aligns with observations from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), which notes a revival in opium cultivation alongside the expansion of synthetic drug production in Myanmar.
Despite the record-breaking seizures, the street price of methamphetamine continues to plummet in Thailand, suggesting that the drugs intercepted represent only a fraction of the total volume being trafficked. Mr Apikit reported that the average price of a meth tablet has fallen to a mere 25 to 30 baht (£0.57 to £0.68), a dramatic decrease from 200 baht (£4.55) in 2013.
Gen Narit Thanwornwong, commander of Thailand’s drug suppression unit in the northern border region, estimates that over 50 million meth pills are poised to enter Thailand. He clarified that while some armed groups fighting Myanmar’s junta are involved in drug trafficking, other non-combatant organisations also play significant roles in production and distribution.
The stark increase in drug seizures since Myanmar’s 2021 coup underscores the intricate relationship between political instability and the narcotics trade. Crystal meth seizures have surged by 284%, speed pills by 201%, and heroin by 77% in Thailand’s northern provinces.
