Over 1 million pilgrims benefit from golf cart service at Grand Mosque during Ramadan    Visitors welcomed with Eid initiative at Thee Ain Heritage Village in Al-Baha    Tebuk emir reviews rain response in Tayma    Saudi Arabia considers rent cap as part of major real estate reforms    Messi's bodyguard banned from touchline at Inter Miami games    Screen time in bed linked to insomnia, study finds    Le Pen vows to appeal political ban, calls verdict a 'denial of democracy'    Death toll from Myanmar earthquake rises to 2,719 as rescue efforts continue    Russia, Ukraine trade blame over new energy strikes    Putin orders Russia's largest military call-up in over a decade    Albania hosts MWL chief for Eid sermon at largest mosque in the Balkans    Haramain High-Speed Railway transports over 1.2 million passengers during Ramadan    Saudi Transport Authority says passengers can ride for free if taxi meters are off    Ministry of Education forms 425 community partnerships with SR653 million impact    Mexico bans junk food in schools to fight childhood obesity epidemic    Sweet sales surge ahead of Eid as Saudi chocolate imports top 123 million kg in 2024    Saudi creatives shine at Jeddah's Fawanees Nights with art, fashion, and storytelling    T1 CEO confirms Gumayusi's return for LCK Spring after lineup shakeup    100 Thieves claim Marvel Rivals Invitational NA crown as 2025 scene heats up    Bollywood actress vindicated over boyfriend's death after media hounding    Saudi Arabia hold Japan to goalless draw in Saitama to stay in World Cup hunt    Grand Mufti rules against posting prayers and preaching in mosques on social media    King Salman prays for peace and stability for Palestinians in Ramadan message King reaffirms Saudi Arabia's commitment to serving the Two Holy Mosques and pilgrims    Bollywood star Saif Ali Khan 'out of danger' after attack at home in Mumbai    Exotic Taif Roses Simulation Performed at Taif Rose Festival    Asian shares mixed Tuesday    Weather Forecast for Tuesday    Saudi Tourism Authority Participates in Arabian Travel Market Exhibition in Dubai    Minister of Industry Announces 50 Investment Opportunities Worth over SAR 96 Billion in Machinery, Equipment Sector    HRH Crown Prince Offers Condolences to Crown Prince of Kuwait on Death of Sheikh Fawaz Salman Abdullah Al-Ali Al-Malek Al-Sabah    HRH Crown Prince Congratulates Santiago Peña on Winning Presidential Election in Paraguay    SDAIA Launches 1st Phase of 'Elevate Program' to Train 1,000 Women on Data, AI    41 Saudi Citizens and 171 Others from Brotherly and Friendly Countries Arrive in Saudi Arabia from Sudan    Saudi Arabia Hosts 1st Meeting of Arab Authorities Controlling Medicines    General Directorate of Narcotics Control Foils Attempt to Smuggle over 5 Million Amphetamine Pills    NAVI Javelins Crowned as Champions of Women's Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) Competitions    Saudi Karate Team Wins Four Medals in World Youth League Championship    Third Edition of FIFA Forward Program Kicks off in Riyadh    Evacuated from Sudan, 187 Nationals from Several Countries Arrive in Jeddah    SPA Documents Thajjud Prayer at Prophet's Mosque in Madinah    SFDA Recommends to Test Blood Sugar at Home Two or Three Hours after Meals    SFDA Offers Various Recommendations for Safe Food Frying    SFDA Provides Five Tips for Using Home Blood Pressure Monitor    SFDA: Instant Soup Contains Large Amounts of Salt    Mawani: New shipping service to connect Jubail Commercial Port to 11 global ports    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Delivers Speech to Pilgrims, Citizens, Residents and Muslims around the World    Sheikh Al-Issa in Arafah's Sermon: Allaah Blessed You by Making It Easy for You to Carry out This Obligation. Thus, Ensure Following the Guidance of Your Prophet    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques addresses citizens and all Muslims on the occasion of the Holy month of Ramadan    







Thank you for reporting!
This image will be automatically disabled when it gets reported by several people.



Over a billion methamphetamine tabs seized in East and Southeast Asia
Published in The Saudi Gazette on 31 - 05 - 2022

More than one billion methamphetamine tablets were seized in East and Southeast Asia last year, the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) has warned.
The staggering drugs haul across the vast region is further proof that illicit manufacturing there continues to expand unchecked, with "extreme volumes of methamphetamine" in production, along with a decreasing number of new synthetic psychoactive substances.
Organized crime syndicates and armed gangs are behind the booming industry, where an abundance of supply linked to the use of unregulated chemicals has resulted in "continuously decreasing drug prices", in particular for crystalline methamphetamine — more commonly known as meth.
In a new report published on Monday, UNODC pointed to the lack of official checks and controls that have resulted from the pandemic and political instability in the so-called "Golden Triangle" of countries, where the highly addictive stimulant originates, or is moved across porous borders — in particular, Myanmar, Thailand and Laos.
Given the cheap price of meth along with its apparent abundance and high purity, UNODC said that the narcotic remains "the primary drug of concern" to all countries in East and Southeast Asia, from China to Japan and from Indonesia to Singapore.
UNODC also noted that in contrast to record methamphetamine tablet seizures, the amount of the drug in crystalline and powder form decreased, by 3.2 tons and 1.5 tons respectively. Liquid methamphetamine seizures also dropped from 6.4 tons in 2020 to 908 kilograms in 2021.
Among other illegal drugs circulating in the region, UNODC noted that demand for ecstasy remains relatively low, while its price has remained stable.
Europe is the main source of ecstasy tablets trafficked into the region through northeastern provinces bordering Laos, the UN agency explained, noting also that ecstasy seizures dropped significantly in 2021, from 8.9 million tablets in 2020 to 3.7 million tablets in 2021.
Other synthetic drugs continue to be produced to attract new users, UNODC said, noting that only 50 "new psychoactive substances" were identified in 2021, compared to more than double that number in 2020.
Nonetheless, new substances "continue to evolve and emerge", UNODC maintained, adding that Ketamine "remains a concern, with signs pointing to increasing supply from within and outside the region".
Turning to Cambodia, the UN agency said that organized crime groups have increasingly used the country as its base.
Although only two "clandestine laboratories" were dismantled last year in Cambodia, at least one was producing ketamine and other synthetic stimulants "on an industrial scale".
The last two years have also seen an exponential rise in confiscations of chemicals that can be used to make illegal synthetic drugs, UNODC said, with 165 tons of compounds seized from three warehouses in Cambodia in January this year.
"These include controlled chemicals, such as acetic anhydride (2.7 tons), hydrochloric acid (29.1 tons), and toluene (32.4 tons), as well as non-controlled chemicals, such as cyclohexane (3.9 tons) along with other chemicals, which can be used in the illicit manufacture of synthetic drugs."
"Precursors" are also required to make methamphetamine and raids on production facilities indicate that ephedrine and pseudoephedrine (which are found in over-the-counter cold medicines) "remain the favored precursors used to manufacture methamphetamine in East and Southeast Asia". — UN News


Clic here to read the story from its source.