UN says amphetamines are flooding Asia
A UN Report on drug trafficking in Asia has warned of the increasing demand and supply of amphetamine type stimulants across Asia.
Officials have especially warned of the emergence of Iranian and West African drug trafficking gangs in the region.
There has been a lot of activity from organised crime gangs, especially from Iran and West Africa, contributing to the widening drug problem in East and Southeast Asia.
This year, many Iranian nationals were arrested attempting to smuggle methamphetamine in crystalline and liquid form through Japan, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Thailand.
The amphetamine type stimulants and other synthetic drugs are now displacing traditional used drugs such as heroin, opium or cannabis, according to the UN report.
The highly-addictive drugs are made from pseudoephedrine, a decongestant which is often found in cough mixtures.
The trend of increasing numbers of users of methamphetamines has been most evident in Brunei, China, Burma, Indonesia, Laos, Papua New Guinea, Malaysia and Vietnam.
Burma has been singled out as the main source, with clandestine operators coming from eastern border regions under the control of ethnic armies and Chinese gangs.
Burma's military and corrupt government elements have also been linked with the trade.
Source: Europe News.Net
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