May 31 (UPI) -- The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime warns the synthetic drug trade is booming, as production and trafficking in East and Southeast Asia hit record levels last year and agents seized more than 1 billion methamphetamine tablets.
The report issued Monday from the UNODC is called "Synthetic Drugs in East and Southeast Asia: Latest developments and challenges 2022." It claims a record 172 tons, including over a billion tablets, of methamphetamine was seized in East and Southeast Asia in 2021. That total is seven times higher than the amount recorded a decade ago.
Methamphetamine is a highly addictive stimulant that acts on the central nervous system, creating a "rush" or feeling of energy or euphoria after being snorted, injected or taken orally, according to the Foundation for a Drug-Free World.
"Organized crime syndicates and armed groups have exploited the pandemic and political instability in the Golden Triangle and border areas of Myanmar to expand production the past year," said Jeremy Douglas, UNODC regional representative for Southeast Asia and the Pacific.
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"There are very few drug labs found in the region outside the Triangle anymore, the supply continues to surge, and governments and agencies continue to report the same source," Douglas said. "Organized crime have all the ingredients in place that they need to continue to grow the business, including territory to produce, access to chemicals, established trafficking routes and relationships to move product, and a massive population with spending power to target -- they look at the region and see potential and profits."
Fueling the increased drug trade is the plummeting price of both tablet and crystal methamphetamine. Malaysia and Thailand both reported wholesale and street prices decreased to all-time lows last year as supplies surged.
"The drop in the price of crystal methamphetamine is particularly concerning as it has become much more accessible and available to those that could not afford it before," said Kavinvadee Suppapongtevasakul, UNODC regional synthetic drugs analyst.
UNODC is working closely with countries in East and Southeast Asia to monitor the methamphetamine situation, and curb other synthetic drug trade, such as ketamine.
"Addressing the methamphetamine situation is a top priority for the government of Thailand and the region," said Thanakorn Kaiyanunta, deputy secretary-general of the Office of the Narcotics Control Board. "but other synthetic drugs and combinations of drugs have emerged in recent years and early warning is more important than ever."
