Myanmar civil war boosts drug trafficking, Thai official says

BANGKOK –

Thailand has seen a surge in illegal drug trafficking from neighboring Myanmar and a sharp rise in seizures of methamphetamines and heroin, as a civil war fuels the regional drug trade, a senior Thai law enforcement official said. fight against narcotics.

The northern region remains the main trafficking route into Thailand, with traffickers crossing the mountains or the Mekong River to import methamphetamine tablets and crystal meth, also known as ice, said Apikit Ch. Rojprasert, secretary Deputy General of the Thailand Office. Narcotics Control Office (ONCB).

Thai authorities say organized crime networks have joined forces with militias and rebel groups to create “super labs” in Myanmar’s Shan and Kachin states.