Drug Trafficking in Law

Myanmar is virtually one of the most substantial opium poppy-producing countries, leaving 335,000 homes reliant on opium poppy agriculture. As the country noticed high rates of poverty, illegal opium cultivations inflated furthermore. In just 2013 alone, Myanmar accounted for 57,814 hectares of opium production, revealing a daunting increase compared to past years. Although Covid-19 resulted in a drug distribution turmoil, traffickers discovered different methods of dispensation, such as online selling or visiting easy-access countries. Moreover, protests have erupted, causing a collapse in law, compelling drug traffickers to effortlessly manage trade. From hiding drugs in tea bags to storing drugs into pills, police have seized high amounts of illegal drugs in the summer, showing the urgency of drug trafficking. However, Myanmar’s coup d'état conflict has diminished drug implementation, giving traffickers easy control, and has prompted many to wonder about the government’s methods of handling issues.

Drug traffickers have made numerous attempts to smuggle drugs around the world, leading the Myanmar government to form a 15-year plan of terminating poppy production by 2014. This plan brought along negative consequences on minorities and intensified the country’s poverty, leading to failure. Many Myanmars lost sources of money due to the elimination of illegal drug production and caused an increase in human trafficking, drug overdoses, and carelessness related to the environment. In May of 2021, as opium popularity decreased, an increase in Meth production appeared in the Shan area. This left drug agencies concerned about the amount of harm being made to those in Myanmar, as it is an exceptionally addictive synthetic drug. In an attempt to lessen harm made to drug users, Suu Kyi implemented a drug control policy in 2018 for the treatment of addiction. In addition, a national conflict known as the coup d'état occurred on February 1, 2021, where the military took control, prompting police to pay less attention to drug-related issues. In return, drug traffickers took advantage of this and transported drugs such as heroin and meth due to the decrease in powerful governing after the coup crisis. Internationally, drug regulation is necessary to promote well organized countries. As a result of the government’s failure to address drug-related issues, investigators around the world labeled Myanmar as a weak country. Officials from Thailand predicted the drug trading from Myanmar to other countries thrived even with the pandemic occurring, as traffickers are more discreet with selling tactics by reaching out to consumers online.

Drug trafficking promotes the illegal use of drugs, addiction, and leads to increased criminal activities in Myanmar. Myanmar should implement an organization similar to the Drug Enforcement Agency as used in the United States. This establishes the utilization of multiple law enforcement agencies including intelligence to crack down on drug trafficking. They need to tackle the transportation, supply, and financial money laundering aspects in order to be successful at bringing drug trafficking under control. Their intelligence agencies must work to build a list of targets and try to demolish their operations. Agencies must also be funded to fight drug trafficking not only at a higher level, but also at the street level to take down the criminal activities. Furthermore, they should also work with public health agencies to combat the overdose on prescription and other drugs. They will need to obtain data from these agencies on the types of drugs being used, their side effects, mental health of the population, and areas that are seeing more overdose cases. Once they coordinate with their law enforcement and work with health agencies, they will be able to work towards a common goal of effectively ending drug trafficking. Each time there is a concern proposed, the agency will run tests on the issues and implement constant investigations to determine where to go from there by making compromises. Conclusively, the United Nations established June 26 as International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, aiming to educate the public on the dangers of drugs as well as solutions for treatment. This provides citizens with valuable information to steer them away from bad choices relating to drugs and decrease the chances of drug trafficking in future generations, improving society.

Works Cited

United Nations. “Myanmar.” United Nations : Office on Drugs and Crime, https://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/alternative-development/myanmar.html.

Stone, Rupert. “Myanmar Coup Provides Drug Traffickers with Ideal Conditions.” Nikkei Asia, Nikkei Asia, 28 May 2021, https://asia.nikkei.com/Spotlight/Myanmar-Crisis/Myanmar-coup-provides-drug-traffickers-with-ideal-conditions.

Reed, John. “How Myanmar Coup Fuelled Rise in Illegal Drugs Trade.” Subscribe to Read | Financial Times, Financial Times, 22 Aug. 2021, https://www.ft.com/content/2e9ee221-cba4-483d-8799-c2a356af4cb4.

NDTA. 2020 National Drug Threat Assessment . 2020, https://www.dea.gov/sites/default/files/2021-02/DIR-008-21%202020%20National%20Drug%20Threat%20Assessment_WEB.pdf.

DEA. “Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF).” DEA, https://www.dea.gov/operations/ocdetf.

United Nations. “International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking.” United Nations, United Nations, https://www.un.org/en/observances/end-drug-abuse-day.