3 October,2024
The ongoing conflict in Myanmar has resulted in a rise in the cross-border drug trade, with drug cartels forging alliances with the armed forces in the country. An official from Thailand’s anti-narcotics agency has disclosed that the armed forces in Shan and Kachin operate drug testing laboratories.
Northern Thailand remains the primary route for smuggling illegal drugs into the country. Apikit Ch. Rojprasert, an official from ONCB, Thailand’s anti-narcotics agency, stated that drug shipments traverse the Mekong River or the jungles, with psychoactive substances being transported to the Thai side.
Furthermore, he stated that drug-related criminal networks have forged alliances with armed groups in Myanmar and that armed groups in the Shan and Kachin states operate drug testing and manufacturing laboratories.
An ONCB official stated, “The armed conflict in Myanmar has turned the drug trade into a significant source of funding for military equipment purchases. Additionally, the drug trade has contributed to ongoing conflicts. Neighbouring countries are collaborating with drug traffickers. I am aware of the crimes being committed.”
The Thai government plans to take control of Chiang Mai, located in the northern part of the country. In the first eight months of this year, the amount of methamphetamine seized in the Chiang Rai and Mae Hong Son areas was 17 per cent higher than the amount seized in 2023, according to the ONCB. The ONCB reported that in 2023 alone, over 346 million methamphetamines were seized, with the number of seizures before the year’s end reaching an all-time high.
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