Southeast Asia's illicit methamphetamine trade is at a record high, the UN says
BANGKOK — The illicit trade in methamphetamine and other dangerous drugs is growing by leaps and bounds in Southeast Asia , with record levels of seizures serving as an indicator of the scale, U.N experts on the drug trade said in a new report Wednesday.
Methamphetamine seizures, primarily in Southeast Asia, totaled 236 tons in 2024, a 24% increase over 2023. The increase applied to both crystal methamphetamine and methamphetamine tablets, the latter priced for a mass market, going for as little as U.S. $0.60 apiece in Myanmar . About 1 billion tablets were seized last year in Thailand.
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