The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) has warned of a significant surge in methamphetamine production and trafficking from the Golden Triangle, a region where the borders of Myanmar, Laos, and Thailand meet. According to the UNODC’s latest report, a record 236 tonnes of methamphetamine were seized in East and Southeast Asia in 2024, marking a 24% increase from the previous year.
“The 236 tons represent only the amount seized; much more methamphetamine is actually reaching the market,” said Benedikt Hofmann, the UNODC’s acting regional representative for Southeast Asia and the Pacific. “While these seizures reflect, in part, successful law enforcement efforts, we are clearly seeing unprecedented levels of methamphetamine production and trafficking from the Golden Triangle, in particular Shan State.”
The report highlights that transnational drug gangs operating in East and Southeast Asia are showing “remarkable agility” in countering attempts by regional law enforcement to crack down on the booming trade in synthetic drugs. Myanmar’s civil war, which erupted in mid-2021, has provided favourable conditions for an expansion of the drug trade.
Expanding Trafficking Routes:
- Cambodia and Laos: The trafficking route connecting Cambodia with Myanmar, primarily through Laos, has been rapidly expanding.
- Maritime Routes: Another increasingly significant corridor involves maritime trafficking routes linking Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Philippines, with Sabah in Malaysia serving as a key transit hub.
The UNODC report also notes that while most countries in the region have reported an overall increase in the use of methamphetamine and ketamine, the number of drug users in the older age group has grown in some nations. Hofmann emphasized the need for the region to increase investment in both prevention and supply reduction strategies.
“It will be key for the region to increase investment in both prevention and supply reduction strategies,” he added. The UNODC’s findings highlight the complexity of the issue and the need for a comprehensive approach to address the growing problem of synthetic drug trafficking in the region.