Rezaul Hoque :
United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime brought out its report, titled–“Transnational Organised Crime In Southeast Asia: Evolution, Growth and Impact”, giving a focus on organised crime and clandestine trade in Southeast Asia. The report also highlighted the methamphetamine market of Bangladesh. As per UNODC, the illicit methamphetamine market is worth between $30.3 billion and $ 61.4 billion.
For ease of comprehension, I use the term “meth” to indicate both forms of methamphetamine– yaba and crystal methamphetamine—in this post. Though not being part of this region, meth market of Bangladesh is estimated to be $5.5 billion. UN made this estimation based on the number of drug users and average consumption of drug by a user.
Most worrying matter is 12 countries of South East Asia reported meth as their “primary drug of concern”. Meth is widely marketed in rich countries like China, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand. Since Chinese authority clamps down on illicit meth trade and destroys meth lab facilities across the country, meth manufacturers find sanctuary in neighbouring countries and particularly in Myanmar and set up meth labs across Myanmar. Northern Rakhine, a conflict zone, has witnessed a surge in meth production facility in recent years.
Key findings of this report are:
1. Southeast Asian countries seized highest amount of meth (all kinds) in 2018, which is also the highest seizure in the last 5 years and it was estimated to be 120 MT.
2. Organised criminal groups frequently use the unregulated casinos to launder and whiten drug money. As China took a tougher stance on this kind of casinos, owners shifted their operations in Cambodia, Myanmar and Philippines. In Cambodia around 100 casinos were set up in the last five years.
3. Ingredients of meth, or “precursor drugs”, and lab equipment are being smuggled or exported to Myanmar from neighbouring countries like China, India, Laos, Thailand and Bangladesh. Organised crime groups often used the legal businesses to smuggle the ingredients.
4. Organised criminals groups widely use the courier service and e-commerce to market crystal meth in countries like Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Singapore and South Korea. In addition, tea packages are increasingly being used to distribute crystal meth in these countries.
5. Land for opium cultivation inside Myanmar is declining. Shan and Kachin State are the regions where this cultivation takes place. Currently, 9% of the opium land lies in Kachin State However no change of poppy harvest has been reported in Kachin state. It is important to note that Kachin separatists have alliance with rebel group of Rakhine. Recently, several meth factories have been established across North Rakhine.
UNODC estimates shows that size of Bangladesh meth market stands at $5.5 billion, as mentioned earlier. Meanwhile, in China the meth market is estimated to be $10.3 billion and in Australia and New Zealand it is estimated to be $11.1 billion. Despite being a small economy, Bangladesh meth market is less than half the size of China’s market and half the size of combined Australia and New Zealand’s market.
A better comparison will found if meth market is compared with GDP, export and import. I did this comparison. According to my estimates, meth market of Bangladesh is 1.75 % of Bangladesh’s GDP, 13.41 percent of export and 11.95 percent of import. But in China it is 0.072% of its GDP , in Australia and New Zealand it is 0.65 % of combined GDP, in ASEAN it is 0.85% of the GDP and in South Korea and Japan it is 0.13 % of combined GDP.
Now I would like to put forward some of my observations:
1. Role of unregulated casinos has been highlighted in this report. Part of the hacked reserve money of Bangladesh Bank melted in one such casino, where Macau based operators had strong footprints, in Philippines. In recent years, law enforcement agencies detained huge quantities of narcotics and gold. It is highly likely that smuggling groups hurt by such seizure might involve in Bangladesh Bank reserve money hacking.
2. The report disclosed that meth making equipment and ingredients like ephedrine, pseudo-ephedrine, 1-phenyl-2-propanone, phenylacetic acid, 2-bromo-1-phenyl-1-propanone and thionyl chloride were smuggled to Myanmar from neighbouring countries like China, Cambodia, Thailand, India and Bangladesh.
It is worthwhile to mention that local customs, based on a tip off from UK, seized liquid cocaine mixed with sunflower oil at Chattogram. After the UNODC report it is crystal clear that this kind of illicit consignment is transited through Bangladesh. It is also an inkling that transnational organised crime groups have strong presence in this country. In addition to ingredients, movements of meth processing savvy experts were also detected. For instance, Malaysian authority detained two Taiwanese for being “roving chemist” of meth lab.
3. In that report United Nations also observed that wide spread corruption among public officials played a key role in human trafficking in this region. There is no iota of lie in it in the case of Bangladesh. In Thailand, a serving Thai General was sent to prison for human trafficking charges. However, no high profile detention has been made in Bangladesh in connection with human trafficking.
4. Another kind of amphetamine is captagon, which is high in demand in Middle East. It sells between $5 and $20 apiece there. An investigative news report divulged that it is a money making machine for armed groups and ISIS in Syria. Its size and price draw attention of such groups. It cannot be ruled out that such terror outfit is operating such illicit trade in this part of the world.
ISIS purported acts of terror in Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Philippines. Philippines and Bangladesh witness surge in meth user and trade. Highest seizure of heroine in the history of Sri Lanka was originated from Bangladesh.
After this UN report, it’s pretty evident that meth has enveloped Bangladesh. Free season of human and drug traffickers in this country are attributed to the nonchalance stance of our influential quarter. Money laundering and smuggling of meth ingredients from Bangladesh insinuate that this kind of illicit commerce has been going on in disguise of legal external trade for a long time. Unless Bangladesh takes stern and rapid steps to address this issue, neighbors like ASEAN countries may play deaf to its pleas on resolving more serious issue.
(Rezaul Hoque is a freelance contributor)
