Page 6 - aruba-today-20220531

A6 WORLD NEWS
Tuesday 31 May 2022
1 billion pills seized: East, S.E. Asia hits ominous drug peak

By GRANT PECK crime syndicates have the
Associated Press means to continue to pro-
BANGKOK (AP) — The num- duce more meth and to
ber of methamphetamine sell it to a growing popula-
tablets seized in East and tion of young people with
Southeast Asia exceeded increased spending power.
a billion last year for the first The political landscape has
time, highlighting the scale also served to ramp up pro-
of illegal drug production duction.
and trafficking in the region In Myanmar, the military
and the challenges of fight- seized power from an elect-
ing it, the U.N. said Monday. ed government last year
The 1.008 billion tablets and is now engaged in
which would weigh about an armed struggle against
91 tons altogether were foes of military rule.
part of a regionwide haul Drug production in Myan-
of almost 172 tons of meth- mar is often associated
amphetamine in all forms, with armed ethnic minor-
and was seven times higher ity groups that sometimes
than the amount seized 10 battle the government and
years earlier, the U.N. Office each other.
on Drugs and Crime said in Reporters view packages of methamphetamines on a table during a press conference at “Every group denies in-
a report. Narcotics Suppression Bureau in Bangkok, Thailand on July 15, 2019. volvement in drug produc-
“I think the region is literally Associated Press tion and trafficking and
swimming in methamphet- point at other groups as
amine,” said Jeremy Doug- trated in the Mekong (River where the borders of Myan- seizures with more prod- responsible, but the drug
las, Southeast Asia regional region) and in particular mar, Laos and Thailand uct,” Douglas said. economy is arguably the
representative for the U.N. Thailand, Laos and Myan- meet, was historically a “The chemical situation is largest part of the econo-
agency, at a news con- mar,” Douglas told The As- major production area for highly complex and there’s my in most or many parts
ference in the Thai capital sociated Press in an email. opium and hosted many no essential chemicals be- of Shan and border areas
Bangkok unveiling the re- The increased production of the labs that converted ing seized and they just of Myanmar and there is
port on “Synthetic Drugs in makes the drug cheaper it to heroin. Decades of po- continue to flow unabated, plenty of intel connecting
East and Southeast Asia.” and more accessible, cre- litical instability have made primarily through Laos into groups to labs and ship-
“So there’s going to have ating greater risk to people Myanmar’s frontier regions (Myanmar’s) Shan State,” ments,” Douglas said.q
to be a radical policy shift and their communities, largely lawless, to be ex- Douglas added. “We also The report also called Laos
by East Asia to address this the report said. Accord- ploited by drug producers have huge money laun- one of the countries most
problem or it’s just going to ing to Douglas, when he and traffickers. dering operations at play impacted by metham-
continue to grow,” Douglas first worked in the region in Douglas said at Monday’s in the region. We have no phetamine trafficked out
said. The drugs are largely 2002-2007, a meth tablet news conference that attempt fundamentally of Myanmar. One of Asia’s
consumed in Southeast cost five to six times what it there is a fundamental at the end of the day to biggest-ever drug busts
Asia but also exported to costs now. need to refocus law en- address demand which was made in Laos last Oc-
New Zealand and Austra- Methamphetamine is easy forcement efforts against is seemingly growing and tober, with police there
lia, Hong Kong, Korea and to make and has supplant- the drug trade. can continue to grow be- seizing more than 55.6 mil-
Japan in East Asia, and in- ed opium and its deriva- “There’s lots and lots of sei- cause of the price point of lion methamphetamine
creasingly to South Asia. tive heroin to become the zures being made and no the drug is so cheap.” pills in a single raid. They
“Production and traffick- dominant illegal drug in impact being made on the Given the problem of lim- also seized about 1,500 ki-
ing of methamphetamine Southeast Asia for both use business itself. Organized ited governance and low lograms (3,300 pounds) of
jumped yet again as sup- and export. crime just keep cranking attention to the issue, the crystal methamphetamine,
ply became super concen- The Golden Triangle area, out the volume, replacing UN. agency said organized state media reported.q

IIndonesian fishermen rescue 10 more survivors of sunken boat

Associated Press The KM Ladang Pertiwi 02 mon in Indonesia, an ar-
MAKASSAR, Indonesia (AP) sank in bad weather in the chipelago of more than
— Ten more survivors of an Makassar Strait on Friday af- 17,000 islands, where ferries
Indonesian boat that sank ternoon. It had left Makas- are often used for transport
three days earlier were res- sar on Thursday and was and safety regulations are
cued Monday by local fish- headed to Kalmas Island often disregarded.
ermen, leaving 11 people in South Sulawesi province. In 2018, an overcrowded
still missing, an official said. The cause of the sinking ferry with about 200 people
The captain and other was still being investigated. on board sank in a deep
crew of the cargo vessel, The vessel was initially de- volcanic crater lake in
which was carrying 42 peo- scribed as a passenger North Sumatra province,
ple, were among those res- ferry, but Djunaidi later killing 167 people.
cued Monday, said Djun- clarified that it was a cargo In one of the country’s
aidi, head of the provincial boat carrying construction worst recorded disasters,
n this photo released by the National Search and Rescue search and rescue agency. materials. Thirty-six passen- an overcrowded pas-
Agency (BASARNAS), survivors ride on an Indonesian Navy boat
after being retrieved from the water during the rescue operation “They are safe and in good gers had asked for a ride senger ship sank in Febru-
for the victims of a sinking cargo boat in the Makassar Strait, condition,” said Djunaidi, on the boat with its six crew ary 1999 with 332 people
Indonesia, Sunday, May 29, 2022. who like many Indonesians members. aboard. There were only 20
Associated Press uses only one name. Ferry tragedies are com- survivors.q