Latest news with #drugburning
Arab News
9 hours ago
- Politics
- Arab News
Myanmar burns confiscated drugs worth around $300 million
YANGON: Officials in Myanmar's major cities destroyed about $300 million worth of confiscated illegal drugs Thursday. The destroyed drugs included opium, heroin, methamphetamine, marijuana, ketamine and the stimulant known as ice, or crystal meth, Yangon Police Brig. Gen. Sein Lwin said in a speech at a drug-burning ceremony. The drug burnings came nearly a month after UN experts warned of unprecedented levels of methamphetamine production and trafficking from Southeast Asia's Golden Triangle region, where the borders of Myanmar, Laos and Thailand meet, and Myanmar's eastern Shan State in particular. The production of opium and heroin historically flourished there, largely because of the lawlessness in border areas where Myanmar's central government has been able to exercise only minimum control over various ethnic minority militias, some of them partners in the drug trade. The UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) said in a May report that the political crisis across the country after the military takeover in 2021 — which led to a civil war — has turbocharged growth of the methamphetamine trade. In the country's biggest city, Yangon, a massive pile of drugs worth more than $117 million went up in a blaze, Sein Lwin said. Similar events to mark the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking also occurred in the country's second-largest city of Mandalay, and in Taunggyi, the capital of eastern Myanmar's Shan state, all areas close to where the drugs are produced. A police official from the capital Naypyitaw told The Associated Press that the substances burned in three locations were worth $297.95 million. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the information has not yet been publicly announced. Myanmar has a long history of drug production linked to political and economic insecurity caused by decades of armed conflict. It has been a major source of illegal drugs destined for East and Southeast Asia, despite repeated efforts to crack down. That has led the flow of drugs to surge 'across not only East and Southeast Asia, but also increasingly into South Asia, in particular Northeast India,' the UN said last month. Drugs are increasingly trafficked from Myanmar to Cambodia, mostly through Laos, as well as through maritime routes linking Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Philippines, with Sabah in Malaysia serving as a key transit hub, it added. The UN agency labeled Myanmar in 2023 as the world's largest opium producer.
South China Morning Post
10 hours ago
- Politics
- South China Morning Post
Myanmar burns US$300 million worth of confiscated drugs
Officials in Myanmar's major cities destroyed about US$300 million worth of confiscated illegal drugs on Thursday. The destroyed drugs included opium, heroin, methamphetamine, marijuana, ketamine and the stimulant known as ice, or crystal meth, Yangon Police Brig. Gen. Sein Lwin said in a speech at a drug-burning ceremony. The drug burnings came nearly a month after UN experts warned of unprecedented levels of methamphetamine production and trafficking from Southeast Asia's Golden Triangle region, where the borders of Myanmar, Laos and Thailand meet, and Myanmar's eastern Shan State in particular. The production of opium and heroin historically flourished there, largely because of the lawlessness in border areas where Myanmar's central government has been able to exercise only minimum control over various ethnic minority militias, some of them partners in the drug trade. Seized drugs are burnt in Yangon. Myanmar has a long history of drug production linked to political and economic insecurity caused by decades of armed conflict. Photo: Xinhua The UN Office on Drugs and Crime said in a May report that the political crisis across the country after the military takeover in 2021 – which led to a civil war – has turbocharged growth of the methamphetamine trade.
CTV News
11 hours ago
- CTV News
Myanmar burns confiscated drugs worth around US$300 million
Firefighters stand by near burning illegal narcotics during a destruction ceremony to mark International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, on the outskirts of Yangon, Myanmar, Thursday, June 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Thein Zaw) YANGON, Myanmar — Officials in Myanmar's major cities destroyed about US$300 million (more than C$410 million) worth of confiscated illegal drugs Thursday. The destroyed drugs included opium, heroin, methamphetamine, marijuana, ketamine and the stimulant known as ice, or crystal meth, Yangon Police Brig. Gen. Sein Lwin said in a speech at a drug-burning ceremony. The drug burnings came nearly a month after UN experts warned of unprecedented levels of methamphetamine production and trafficking from Southeast Asia's Golden Triangle region, where the borders of Myanmar, Laos and Thailand meet, and Myanmar's eastern Shan State in particular. The production of opium and heroin historically flourished there, largely because of the lawlessness in border areas where Myanmar's central government has been able to exercise only minimum control over various ethnic minority militias, some of them partners in the drug trade. The UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) said in a May report that the political crisis across the country after the military takeover in 2021 – that has led to what is now a civil war – has turbocharged growth of the methamphetamine trade. In the country's biggest city, Yangon, a massive pile of drugs worth more than $117 million went up in a blaze, Sein Lwin said. Similar events to mark the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking also occurred in the country's second-largest city of Mandalay, and in Taunggyi, the capital of eastern Myanmar's Shan state, all areas close to where the drugs are produced. A police official from the capital Naypyitaw told the Associated Press that the substances burnt in three locations were worth $297.95 million. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the information has not yet been publicly announced. Myanmar has a long history of drug production linked to political and economic insecurity caused by decades of armed conflict and has been a major source of illegal drugs destined for East and Southeast Asia, despite repeated efforts to crack down. That has led the flow of drugs to surge 'across not only East and Southeast Asia, but also increasingly into South Asia, in particular Northeast India,' UNODC said last month. Drugs are increasingly trafficked from Myanmar to Cambodia, mostly through Laos, as well as through maritime routes 'linking Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Philippines, with Sabah in Malaysia serving as a key transit hub.' The UN agency labeled Myanmar in 2023 as the world's largest opium producer. Thein Zaw, The Associated Press
CNA
13 hours ago
- Politics
- CNA
Myanmar burns confiscated drugs worth around US$300 million
YANGON: Nearly US$300 million worth of confiscated illegal drugs were destroyed in Myanmar's major cities on Thursday (Jun 26) to mark the annual International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, officials said. The drug burnings came nearly a month after UN experts warned of unprecedented levels of methamphetamine production and trafficking from Southeast Asia's Golden Triangle region and Myanmar's eastern Shan State in particular. The country has long been a major source of illegal drugs destined for East and Southeast Asia, despite repeated efforts to crack down. The UN agency labelled it in 2023 as the world's largest opium producer. In the country's biggest city, Yangon, a massive pile of drugs worth more than US$117 million went up in a spectacular blaze. The destroyed drugs included opium, heroin, methamphetamine, marijuana, ketamine and the stimulant known as ice, or crystal meth, Yangon Police brigadier general Sein Lwin said in a speech at a drug-burning ceremony. Similar events also occurred in the country's second-largest city of Mandalay, and in Taunggyi, the capital of eastern Myanmar's Shan state, all areas close to where the drugs are produced. A police official from the capital Naypyitaw told the Associated Press that the substances burnt in three locations were worth US$297.95 million. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the information has not yet been publicly announced. Myanmar has a long history of drug production linked to political and economic insecurity caused by decades of armed conflict. Eastern Myanmar is part of the infamous Golden Triangle, where the borders of Myanmar, Laos and Thailand meet. The production of opium and heroin historically flourished there, largely because of the lawlessness in border areas where Myanmar's central government has been able to exercise only minimum control over various ethnic minority militias, some of them partners in the drug trade. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime said in a report in May that the political crisis across the country after the military takeover in 2021 - that has led to what is now a civil war - has turbocharged growth of the methamphetamine trades. That has caused the flow of drugs to surge 'across not only East and Southeast Asia, but also increasingly into South Asia, in particular Northeast India' the report said. Drugs are increasingly trafficked from Myanmar to Cambodia, mostly through Laos, as well as through maritime routes 'linking Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Philippines, with Sabah in Malaysia serving as a key transit hub.'
Associated Press
14 hours ago
- Associated Press
Myanmar burns confiscated drugs worth around $300 million
YANGON, Myanmar (AP) — Nearly $300 million worth of confiscated illegal drugs were destroyed in Myanmar's major cities on Thursday to mark the annual International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, officials said. The drug burnings came nearly a month after U.N. experts warned of unprecedented levels of methamphetamine production and trafficking from Southeast Asia's Golden Triangle region and Myanmar's eastern Shan State in particular. The country has long been a major source of illegal drugs destined for East and Southeast Asia, despite repeated efforts to crack down. The U.N. agency labeled it in 2023 as the world's largest opium producer. In the country's biggest city, Yangon, a massive pile of drugs worth more than $117 million went up in a spectacular blaze. The destroyed drugs included opium, heroin, methamphetamine, marijuana, ketamine and the stimulant known as ice, or crystal meth, Yangon Police Brig. Gen. Sein Lwin said in a speech at a drug-burning ceremony. Similar events also occurred in the country's second-largest city of Mandalay, and in Taunggyi, the capital of eastern Myanmar's Shan state, all areas close to where the drugs are produced. A police official from the capital Naypyitaw told the Associated Press that the substances burnt in three locations were worth 297.95 million US dollars. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the information has not yet been publicly announced. Myanmar has a long history of drug production linked to political and economic insecurity caused by decades of armed conflict. Eastern Myanmar is part of the infamous Golden Triangle, where the borders of Myanmar, Laos and Thailand meet. The production of opium and heroin historically flourished there, largely because of the lawlessness in border areas where Myanmar's central government has been able to exercise only minimum control over various ethnic minority militias, some of them partners in the drug trade. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime said in a report in May that the political crisis across the country after the military takeover in 2021 – that has led to what is now a civil war – has turbocharged growth of the methamphetamine trades. That has caused the flow of drugs to surge 'across not only East and Southeast Asia, but also increasingly into South Asia, in particular Northeast India,' the report said. Drugs are increasingly trafficked from Myanmar to Cambodia, mostly through Laos, as well as through maritime routes 'linking Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Philippines, with Sabah in Malaysia serving as a key transit hub.'
