PHNOM PENH, Aug 23 (Bernama): Myanmar narcotic officials smashed a major cross-border drug smuggling network, with the seizure of 1.29 tonnes of methamphetamine, 1.87 tonnes of ketamine, and 17 million stimulant tablets, which were targeted to be shipped via sea routes to drug syndicates in Malaysia.
The Myanmar Drug Enforcement Division said it arrested 13 key suspects, with nine others still at large, in the month-long nationwide operation involving multiple agencies and the seized drugs were valued at over RM40 million (US$10 million).
The state media, The Global New Light of Myanmar, on Saturday exposed a complex modus operandi deployed by the Myanmar drug trafficking syndicates, which included the use of boats, prawn farms, high-powered four-wheel drive vehicles, and various border crossing points to transport their illicit cargo.
The report added that no Malaysians were identified among those detained in the latest operation.
"Investigations revealed, the detained suspects were in charge of transporting the drugs to the Malaysian waters and Rakhine State.
"They distributed the drugs thrice weekly from Yangon to the mouth of the sea and four times from Kawthoung to the Straits of Malacca. Kawthoung is located at the southern tip of Myanmar bordering Thailand.
"They were instructed to transport the ‘ice’ (methamphetamine) from Yangon to Malaysia via sea,” the state media reported, citing the enforcement division.
The western-coastal state of Rakhine is grappling with a prolonged civil war that has led to major economic and social hardship, including acute food shortages.
In a related issue, on Friday, Indonesian news outlet ANTARA reported that the National Narcotics Agency (BNN) is working with Myanmar authorities to curb the entry of cross-border drug trafficking syndicates into the country.
"BNN has strengthened cooperation with Myanmar’s law enforcement agencies, a country known for massive drug production in Southeast Asia,” said BNN Head Marthinus Hukom, as reported by ANTARA.
The UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in May warned that the production and trafficking of methamphetamine had risen sharply in Southeast Asia since 2021.
As transnational drug traffickers continue to exploit new routes to avoid law enforcement, the trafficking corridors connecting Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Philippines are becoming a vital corridor, said UNODC officials.
"The trafficking route connecting Cambodia with Myanmar, primarily through Laos, has been rapidly expanding.
"Another increasingly significant corridor involves maritime routes linking Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Philippines, with Sabah in Malaysia serving as a key transit hub,” said Inshik Sim, lead analyst at the UNODC Regional Office for Southeast Asia and the Pacific. - Bernama
