Asian drug lords likely producing precursor chemicals in Golden Triangle

Indonesian police display some 353 kilos (778 lbs.) of methamphetamines reportedly seized from an international drug network operating in the Middle East and Asia, during a press conference at the regional police headquarters in Banda Aceh on February 11, 2021. - AFP

BANGKOK, Feb 13 (Reuters): Crime syndicates in Asia’s drug-producing Golden Triangle region have likely begun producing ingredients to manufacture methamphetamine, enabling them to avoid restrictions on importing precursors such as pseudoephedrine and ephedrine.

The development shows a new level of sophistication by drug syndicates as "pre-precursors" such as propionyl chloride are far less tightly regulated and easier to obtain.