1. Illicit Drugs in East and Southeast Asia: Situation and Response
Presentation to AIFOCOM-7, HCMC, Viet Nam
Jason Eligh
UNODC Country Manager a.i., Viet Nam Country Office
23 April 2010

2. Structure of presentation
Understand the situation
Sharpen the response

6. “Containment is working… but is under threat”
OPIATES in E/SE Asia:
“Containment is working… but is under threat”

7. Opium production in South East Asia in metric tons
Southeast Asia production in 2009 decreased due to lower yield in Myanmar
-25% from 2007 to 2009
Opium production has a similar pattern. Opium production in Vietnam and Thailand have virtually disappeared in recent years and opium production fell drastically in Myanmar and Laos over the last decade (-67% for Myanmar and -92% for Laos).
In contrast and in spite of an increase of cultivation in Myanmar in 2009 (11%), actual opium production declined (-20%), due to lower yield.
Between 2008 and 2009 yield in Laos and Thailand remained unchanged, while it declined by about 13% in Myanmar (from 14.4 kg/ha to 10.4 kg/ha). Due to this decline, the overall opium production in South-East Asia fell by 19% in 2009.
The contribution of South-East Asia to the global opium production fell from more than half in 1999, it continued to fall by 33% in 1998 and it still declined in 2009 by 5%.
330
Source: Opium Poppy Cultivation in South-East Asia, December 2009.

8. Opium poppy cultivation in South-East Asia 2004 to 2009 (in ha)
50,940
33,810
34,720
30,390
29,440
24,175
Most of the area cultivated under opium poppy in the Golden Triangle continues to be in Myanmar (31,700 ha or 94% of the total area under poppy cultivation in South-East Asia)
The area under poppy cultivation in South-East Asia declined between 2004 and 2009 by 34%, mostly due to the decline in Myanmar (-28%) and in Laos (-71%).
Since 2006 the trend went up every year and reaches a 40% increase in 2009 as compared to 2006.
In 2009, the area under poppy cultivation was about 11% larger than a year earlier, mostly due to a small increase of poppy cultivation in Myanmar.
Source: Opium Poppy Cultivation in South-East Asia, December 2009. y

9. Heroin situation in East and South-East Asia
Heroin use trend (2007/2008)
Heroin
Use reported by: 10 countries
Increasing: 2 (Singapore and Viet Nam)
Decreasing: 4 (Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar and Thailand)
Stable: 4 (Australia, China, Japan and New Zealand)
Source: DAINAP 9

10. Heroin situation in East and South-East Asia
Heroin Seizure (2004 – 2008)
Note: Seizures from Australia and New Zealand are not included.
Source: DAINAP 10

11. ATS in E/SE Asia
“Steadily worsening”

12. ATS USERS: approx ½ in East and SE Asia
ATS SEIZURES: just under ½ global meth seizures in E/SE Asia 12

13. ATS situation in East and South-East Asia
Meth pill use trends ( )
Use reported: 5 countries
Increasing: 4 (China, Myanmar, Thailand and Viet Nam)
Stable: 1 (Lao PDR (stable after an increasing trend for past five years)
Source: DAINAP 13

14. ATS situation in East and South-East Asia
Meth pill seizures ( *)
2009 Regional column drawn with:
23,899,156 pills from Myanmar (CCDAC/DAINAP) [Jan – Dec, 2009]
21,514,349 pills from China (NNCC/DAINAP) [Jan – Jun, 2009]
10,738,623 pills from Thailand (ONCB/DAINAP) [Jan – Jun, 2009]
56,152,128 pills in total from this three countries only [****** China and Thailand data are only for two quarters] and the data is going to revised for more quantity.
Nearly 76% increase from 2008 (31.9 millions regional total)
Highest in past 6 years.
* 2009 data are preliminary and likely to be revised (likely increase).
Note: Seizures from Australia and New Zealand are not included.
2008: Total seizures 32 million (approx.) (70% in Thailand)
– Increasing (26%)
Source: DAINAP 14

15. ATS situation in East and South-East Asia
Crystal meth use trend ( )
Use reported: 12 countries
Increasing: 6
China
Indonesia
Japan
Singapore
Thailand
Viet Nam
Decreasing: 4
Australia
Malaysia
Philippines
Rep. of Korea
Stable: 2
Brunei Darussalam
New Zealand
Source: DAINAP 15

16. ATS situation in East and South-East Asia
Crystal meth seizures ( )
Countries reporting methamphetamine (either pill for crystalline form) as the primary drug of use, have remained relatively constant during the past four years
Brunei gram After 3 Quarters
Indonesia gram After 2 Quarters
Philippines gram After 2 Quarters
Phillipines kilogram After 2 Quarters Liquid meth seizure converted to kg using standard conversion rate of 1 litre = 1 kg
Singapore gram After 3 Quarters
China kilogram After 2 Quarters
Malaysia kilogram After 3 Quarters
Myanmar kilogram After 3 Quarters
Thailand kilogram Just only Quarter 1
Total kilogram
* 2009 data are preliminary and likely to be revised (likely increase).
Note: Seizures from Australia and New Zealand are not included.
2008: Total seizures 8.3 metric ton (approx.) (66% in China)
– Increasing (13.7%)
Source: DAINAP 16

17. ATS situation in East and South-East Asia
Ecstasy use trend (2007/2008)
Use reported by: 10 countries
Increasing: 5 (Australia, China, Indonesia, New Zealand and Viet Nam)
Decreasing: 4 (Malaysia, Rep. of Korea, Singapore and Thailand)
Stable: 1 (Japan)
Source: DAINAP 17

18. ATS situation in East and South-East Asia
Ecstasy seizures ( )
Ecstasy pill seizures have fluctuated in East and South-East Asia over the past five years.
This is partly due to different classifications of seizures, between ecstasy and methamphetamine, as well as improved disaggregation of data between the various synthetic drugs. However, the bulk of the regional seizures in 2007 and 2008 were made by four countries - China, Indonesia, Japan and Thailand
Brunei 15 pills After 3 quarters
China pills After 2 quarters
Indonesia pills After 2 quarters
Malaysia pills After 3 quarters
Myanmar 4.5 pills After 3 quarters
Philippines pills After 2 quarters
Singapore pills After 3 quarters
Thailand 959 pills Just only Q1
Total pills
* 2009 data are preliminary and likely to be revised (likely increase).
Note: Seizures from Australia and New Zealand are not included.
2008: Total seizures 3 million (2/3rd in Indonesia and China)
Source: DAINAP 18

19. Detailed assessments:
15 country reports from East and South-East Asia
Broad overview:
South Asia
The Pacific Island States

20. Structure of presentation
Understand the situation
Sharpen the response

21. Sharpening the response:
Regional Cooperation Arrangements
Computer-Based Training (CBT)
Border Liaison Offices (BLO)
Container Control Programme (CCP)
Evidence-based Drug Treatment

22. Regional Cooperation Arrangements
Regular bilateral cooperation
AIFOCOM: AIPA Fact-finding Committee to Combat the Drug Menace
JASPOC: Joint ASEAN Senior Police Officers’ Course
ADLOMICO: Anti-Drug Liaison Officials’ Meeting for International Cooperation
IDEC: International Drug Enforcement Conference
HONLEA: Heads of National Drug Law Enforcement Agencies
MOU among the Greater Mekong Subregion (6 GMS countries + UNODC)
ACCORD: ASEAN and China Cooperative Operations in Response to Dangerous Drugs

23. Computer-Based Training (CBT)

26. Border Liaison Offices (BLO)

27. How Intelligence is Communicated: BEFORE BLO
ACTIONS
Intelligence/Information
Follow up action
General enquiries Drug seizures
Traffickers
Drug trends
Concealment methods
Country A
Country B
Narcotic Police Border Police Customs
Local Police
Immigration
CID
Military Intelligence
Narcotics Police
Customs
National
Drug Authority
How Intelligence is Communicated: BEFORE BLO

28. … After BLO Country A Country B BLO National Drug Authority
Narcotic Police Border Police Customs
Local Police
Immigration
CID
Military Intelligence
Narcotics Police
Customs
National Drug
Authority

29. UNODC-WCO Container Control Programme (CCP)
In 2006 approximately 420 million container movements across the planet; Expected to grow to 450 million by 2012
Only 2% were inspected in any manner in 2006

30. UNODC-WCO Container Control Programme (CCP)
Ongoing
Interest

31. Cocaine
Approximately
35 metric tons
within the wall of
bed sheet cartons

32. Precursor chemicals
76 tons

33. The Anti-Narcotic Force / Customs 15 metric tons cannabis resin
seized in
Karachi
The Anti-Narcotic
Force / Customs

34. Evidence-based Drug Treatment
Compulsory detention centres for drug users is not drug treatment
Methadone maintenance therapy works for opiate dependence
Public health interventions for drug users support public security goals

35. Thank you