UN report warns over southeast Asia drugs trade

Описание: (2 Jun 2023)
RESTRICTION SUMMARY:

ASSOCIATED PRESS
Bangkok - 1 June 2023
1. Wide of narcotics officers removing bags of seized drugs from vehicle at headquarters of Office of Narcotics Control Board
2. Close of bags being removed
3. Wide of trolley of bags being moved
4. Wide of officers laying drugs on table
5. Various of drugs being laid out concealed in packaging that passes them off as Chinese tea
6. Wide of armed police
7. Wide of officials taking standing behind table
8. Close of armed police officer
9. Close of gun

ASSOCIATED PRESS
Bangkok - 2 June 2023
10. Wide of officials at United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) news conference
11. Wide of media
12. SOUNDBITE (English) Jeremy Douglas, United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime Regional Representative:
“We’re looking at a massive change in trafficking patterns as we speak. As these major loads are negotiated and shipped, maritime will feature heavily in that for the reason you mentioned, which is frankly it’s hard to police the high seas, especially on oceans like the Andaman that are wide open, lots of fishing vessels, but even apparently in the Gulf of Thailand.”
13. SOUNDBITE (English) Inshik Sim, United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime Illicit Drug Analyst:
“Organized crime groups (have) been always trying to look for (to) circumvent the law enforcement responses adopted by the Mekong and also Southeast Asian law enforcement authorities. So in 2022 and early 2023 we have noted that maritime trafficking has gained a significant importance in crystal meth trafficking in the region.”

ASSOCIATED PRESS
Bangkok - 1 June 2023
14. Various of seized drugs being laid out

ASSOCIATED PRESS
Bangkok - 2 June 2023
15. SOUNDBITE (English) Jeremy Douglas, United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime Regional Representative:
“I think it’s really important to note that I think a lot of the product, given the price data that we just looked at, continuing to decline, that other reports from all the countries about the availability on the street being extremely high, I think we have to look at the fact that more drugs sailed by, traffickers were a little more successful last year than in the previous (year), and they were able to connect to market, mainly using maritime routes.”
16. Various of media
17. Wide of officials leaving news conference
STORYLINE:
The huge trade in methamphetamine and other illegal drugs originating from a small corner of Southeast Asia shows no signs of slowing down, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime warned on Friday.

Its 2023 report, Synthetic Drugs in East and Southeast Asia, said that “high volumes of methamphetamine continue to be produced and trafficked in and from the region while the production of ketamine and other synthetic drugs has expanded.”

It also said that the use of sea routes for smuggling their product was becoming significant.

Underlining the finding, on Thursday, narcotics officers in Bangkok, Thailand, unloaded their latest haul: almost a ton of crystal meth, or “ice”.

It was seized by Thai navy special forces after they boarded a fishing boat off Rayong province, in the Gulf of Thailand, on Tuesday.

Authorities said the vessel was on its way to rendezvous with a larger ship, waiting in international waters.

The drugs were packaged to look like Chinese tea with the ultimate destination unclear, though officers suspect Australia.

Six people have been arrested.


But this does not indicate weakened production.


It suggests the decrease in seizures was due to traffickers changing their smuggling routes.








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