Record Methamphetamine Seizures Reveal Surging Drug Trade Across Southeast Asia, U.N. Warns
BANGKOK (AP) — The illicit methamphetamine trade in Southeast Asia is exploding, with record-breaking seizures of 236 tons in 2024 highlighting the alarming growth and reach of transnational drug networks, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) reported on Wednesday.
The figures, which represent a 24% increase from 2023, include both crystal meth and methamphetamine tablets—the latter mass-produced and sold for as little as $0.60 per tablet in Myanmar. In Thailand alone, authorities seized approximately 1 billion meth tablets last year, a sign of the scale and accessibility of the synthetic drug across the region.
Industrial-Scale Drug Operations
UNODC officials attribute the massive supply to “industrial-scale production” by agile, well-funded transnational criminal syndicates. Most operations are based in Myanmar’s Shan State, located in the infamous Golden Triangle, where the borders of Myanmar, Laos, and Thailand converge—a region historically known for heroin and opium production but now increasingly dominated by synthetic drug labs.
“We are clearly seeing unprecedented levels of methamphetamine production and trafficking from the Golden Triangle, in particular Myanmar’s Shan State,” said Benedikt Hofmann, UNODC Acting Regional Representative.
Civil War Fuels Drug Surge
The report cites Myanmar’s ongoing civil war, triggered by the military coup in February 2021, as a key driver behind the drug trade’s growth. Amid political instability and weakened law enforcement, drug producers have expanded operations in more stable territories within Myanmar.
“There is a degree of stability in certain parts of the country, especially those known for large-scale synthetic drug production,” Hofmann noted, warning that this mix of conflict and control has “created favorable conditions for the expansion of drug production.”
Record Methamphetamine Seizures Reveal Surging Drug Trade Across Southeast Asia
Expanding Trafficking Routes
Drug traffickers have diversified their trafficking routes to reach a broader market. The report highlights new corridors through Laos and Cambodia, and maritime routes connecting Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Philippines, with Sabah, Malaysia, emerging as a key transit hub.
The drug trade is no longer limited to Southeast Asia. It is increasingly expanding into South Asia, particularly Northeast India, and even sees cross-regional flows from outside Asia. Methamphetamine from the Golden Crescent—a region encompassing Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Iran—has been found in Southeast Asia and as far as Japan and South Korea.
Meanwhile, Mexican cartels have played a role in trafficking meth into Indonesia, Hong Kong, China, Japan, the Philippines, and South Korea, according to the UNODC.
Digital Tools and Underground Networks
The report also highlights how traffickers are adapting to modern tools, using digital technologies and emerging platforms to conduct and conceal their operations. They increasingly rely on underground banking networks and legitimate front companies to launder money and facilitate the drug trade.
“Traffickers have shown business acumen by leveraging digital tools and emerging technologies,” the UNODC said, warning of a “growing convergence between drug networks and illicit financial services.”
Regional Threats Demand Coordinated Action
The UNODC warns that the synthetic drug trade is not only a major public health threat but also undermines regional stability and law enforcement capacity. The organization is calling for enhanced cooperation among Southeast Asian governments, tighter financial regulations, and the disruption of production sites to combat the surge in methamphetamine and related narcotics.
For more updates and analysis on Southeast Asia’s drug trade and law enforcement responses, follow crimeasia reports and regional government bulletins.
