Drug Intelligence Brief
METHAMPHETAMINE: THE CURRENT
THREAT IN EAST ASIA AND THE PACIFIC RIM
September 2003
Overview
Methamphetamine
production, trafficking, and abuse are problems affecting every country
in the Asian and the Pacific Rim Regions. As early as World War II,
methamphetamine abuse had become a scourge for Japan. During World War
II, the Japanese Government (as well as the German, British, and U.S.
Governments) used methamphetamines to keep their soldiers active for
extreme amounts of time over long periods of engagement. After the end
of World War II, large military stockpiles of methamphetamine found
their way into the public sector. At one point in the early postwar
years, Japan had approximately two million methamphetamine addicts in
a population of only 88 million.
Burma (Myanmar),
China (Peoples Republic of China), and India are nations that
play key roles in the production of methamphetamine in the East Asian
and the Pacific Rim Regions. China and India are significant producers
of precursor chemicals, such as ephedrine and pseudoephedrine, which
are used in methamphetamine production. Burma and China are the two
largest producers of methamphetamine. Burma is known for the production
of methamphetamine tablets (Ya-Ba), while China produces
crystal methamphetamine (called ice and Shabu).
Trafficking organizations
find synthetic drug production (especially methamphetamine) attractive
for several reasons: there is no dependence on growing seasons; no large
workforce is required; necessary chemicals are easily obtained; it is
easy to locate laboratories near consumer markets; and there is a high
profit return on their investment.
Precursor Chemicals
China and India
have vast commercial chemical industries, which produce significant
quantities of ephedrine and pseudoephedrine. The proximity to illicit
methamphetamine production areas facilitates the diversion of these
chemicals to the illegal drug arena. Significant amounts of ephedrine
and pseudoephedrine produced in China and India are exported to countries
such as Burma, Canada, Germany, Mexico, and the United States. While
China and India each produce over 400 metric tons of ephedrine and pseudoephedrine
a year, only limited quantities of these chemicals destined for illicit
drug production are seized.
Since 1999, China
and India have made extensive efforts to control the diversion of United
Nations-listed precursor chemicals. These efforts include the passage
of new legislation and immediate enforcement of these new regulations
by China (February 2000) and India (December 1999). Both countries also
participate in a variety of diversion-control efforts with the Drug
Enforcement Administration (DEA).
Production and Trafficking
Methamphetamine
Tablets (a.k.a. Ya-Ba)
Burma is the primary
producer of methamphetamine tablets in the region. Other countries also
producing tablets, although in much smaller quantities, include Cambodia,
Laos, and Thailand. U.S. Government estimates place Burmese methamphetamine
tablet production in excess of 800 million tablets per year. According
to officials in Thailand, Burma produces up to 80 percent of the methamphetamine
tablets that are consumed in Thailand each year. The Government of Thailand
considers Burmese methamphetamine production to be Thailands number-one
national security threat.
The primary producer
of methamphetamine tablets in Burma is the United Wa State Army (UWSA),
an insurgent group that has a cease-fire agreement with the Burmese
Government. The UWSA and several other drug trafficking organizations
began methamphetamine production in the early to mid-1990s to supplement
their income from heroin trafficking activities. Because their heroin
trafficking activities had been the focus of international law enforcement
efforts, their cash flow was impacted. Methamphetamine has low production
costs, easily obtained precursor chemicals, and a simple production
process. The UWSA often co-locates its methamphetamine- and heroin-processing
laboratories. The UWSA finds methamphetamine production to be very lucrative,
as it provides large amounts of cash from the huge Thai drug market.
The UWSA produces
methamphetamine tablets embossed with the WY and 99
logos. Originally, these logos represented the high quality of the methamphetamine
tablets. However, over the past several years, other drug trafficking
groups have been counterfeiting these logos for their own tablets.
Most of the methamphetamine
tablets produced in Burma are shipped overland to Thailand, with some
shipments passing through Laos. Large shipments of the tablets are caravanned
into northern Thailand by soldiers of the UWSA or local hill tribe
people, to be trucked to locations throughout Thailand. These shipments
are then handled by various brokers conducting deals with a variety
of local distributors. The remainder of the tablets are shipped by various
maritime-and aviation-smuggling methods to international drug consumption
markets. Burma-produced tablets have been seized in Australia, Brunei,
Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan (Republic of China),
and Vietnam.
There have also
been shipments of methamphetamine tablets to ethnic Hmong and Yao individuals
in the Sacramento, California, area. However, the amount of Burma-produced
tablets being shipped to the United States is currently unknown. There
is also no reliable seizure data on Burma-produced tablets entering
the United States.
Crystal
Methamphetamine (a.k.a. Ice, Shabu)
China is the primary
producer of ice in Asia and the Pacific Rim. Smaller quantities of ice
are produced in the Philippines, Taiwan, and South Korea. The Chinese
Government has no estimates on the scale of either methamphetamine production
or consumption within its borders. However, Chinese officials consider
ice to be one of the countrys most significant drug abuse problems,
second only to heroin abuse. China has the largest consumer market for
ice. Other consumer markets for ice include Australia, Brunei, Hong
Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, the
Marianas Islands, and the United States (specifically Guam and Hawaii).
The ability to
manufacture multikilogram quantities of ice in China is a result of
the easy availability of ephedrine and pseudoephedrine. Most ice-producing
laboratories are located in the provinces along the eastern and southeastern
coastal areas, with limited production occurring in the inland areas.
Chinese authorities report that some Chinese drug trafficking organizations
use different sites for different stages of the production process.
Chinese law enforcement authorities also report that most of the ice
labs are small and highly mobile.
Ice, produced in
China, is shipped to other nations by a variety of methods including
containerized cargo, small freighter, or fishing vessels that travel
in international waters. Several seaports in southern and southeastern
China serve as transit points for ice leaving by containerized cargo.
Ice is not normally transported by air cargo or air courier; however,
some quantities have been known to enter Japan by courier.
Ephedrine
Seizures (Metric Tons) 1998 - 2002
Country |
Source
of Information |
1998 |
1999 |
2000 |
2001 |
2002 |
Burma |
DEA
Rangoon |
3.819 |
6.485 |
2.671 |
3.922 |
1.711 |
China |
DEA-China
Conference October 2002 |
5.10 |
8.80 |
10.15 |
2.50 |
NA* |
India |
U.S.
State Department - International Narcotics Control Strategy Report
(INCSR) |
1.051 |
2.134 |
.532 |
1.017 |
.027 |
*Not
available
Methamphetamine
Seizures (Metric Tons) 1998 - 2002
Country |
Source
of Information |
Form
of Drug |
1998 |
1999 |
2000 |
2001 |
2002 |
Burma |
DEA
Rangoon |
tablets |
2.67 |
2.9 |
2.7 |
3.24 |
.9 |
China |
DEA
Beijing |
ice |
1.61 |
16.06 |
20.90 |
4.82 |
3.19 |
Japan |
DEA
Tokyo |
ice |
.549 |
1.995 |
1.030 |
.406 |
.168 |
South
Korea |
DEA
Seoul |
ice |
0.28 |
0.29 |
.046 |
.169 |
0.36 |
Philippines |
INCSR |
ice |
.077 |
.938 |
1.728 |
1.562 |
.914 |
Taiwan |
DEA
Hong Kong |
ice |
.886 |
1.215 |
.836 |
1.156 |
1.052 |
Thailand |
DEA
Bangkok |
tablets |
3.012 |
4.518 |
7.549 |
8.457 |
6.494 |
Outlook
The methamphetamine
production, trafficking, and abuse situation in the Asian and the Pacific
Rim Regions is unlikely to change in the near future. The Government
of Thailand has long considered Burmese methamphetamine production to
be Thailands number-one national security threat. Chinese officials
now consider crystal methamphetamine to be among the countrys
most significant drug abuse problems, ranking it second only to heroin
abuse. Given the current methamphetamine situations in both countries,
it is doubtful that either government will change its view on this threat
anytime soon.
The UWSA and other
drug trafficking organizations have found methamphetamine production
to be attractive for a variety of reasons, specifically the high return
of profit on their investment. As a result, these groups will likely
expand their methamphetamine production and trafficking activities to
maintain their financial base.
This report
was prepared by the Europe, Asia, Africa Strategic Intelligence Unit
of the Office of Strategic Intelligence. This report reflects information
received through July 2003. Comments and requests for copies are welcome
and may be faxed to the Intelligence Production Unit, Intelligence
Division, DEA Headquarters, at (202) 307-8726. |
DEA-03052
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