Laotian police seized 55.6 million methamphetamine pills hidden in a truck, the largest drug seizure ever in Asia, the UN counter-narcotics body said Thursday.
"
The 55.6 million methamphetamine tablets and 1,537 kg of crystal meth reported by Laos at the end of the day yesterday constitute a record for a single seizure in the region,
" Jeremy Douglas, regional representative told AFP. of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).
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"
This is three times more than all the methamphetamine tablets seized by Laos last year, and almost a third for crystal methamphetamine,
" he added.
The “
Golden Triangle
”, on the borders of Burma, Laos and Thailand, has for decades been the focal point of drug production in Southeast Asia.
Synthetic drugs have exploded in parts of Burma where they are the main source of income for organized crime as well as insurgent groups or militias in areas close to the borders with Laos and Thailand.
"Golden Triangle"
Drug trafficking in the region profited from the February coup in Burma, due to the halt to the legal economy.
Methamphetamine in its most potent crystallized form is usually shipped to more lucrative overseas markets, such as Australia and Japan, even though the pandemic has hampered transfers.
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This record seizure by the Laotian authorities was carried out in the province of Bokeo, in the heart of the “
Golden Triangle
” when the police arrested the driver of a truck supposed to transport beer of the local brand “
BeerLao
” and which contained in reality a cargo of narcotics.
In a statement, the brewer denied any involvement.
"
We are deeply disappointed that our crates were used to cover illegal activities
," the Lao brewery company said, adding that the truck in question was not registered with them.
