No idea about their current availability but if they were coming from CM then they were most likely Burmese in origin and are highly prized. The Thai variety come from near Kanchanaburi.
That's not the USD depreciating, that's the BTC appreciating. Just because Lithium and Copper are up, as well, is not indicative of the base currency depreciating, more a function of relatively inelastic supply and increased demand.
It isn't just because of a Hazardous Goods Transport Certificate. Sulfuric Acid falls under Table II of the UN convention that seeks to regulate precursor chemicals used in the manufacture of synthetic drugs, in this case, methamphetamine. That plus the fact the it is coming from India (one of the big boys when it comes to producing chemicals for the illicit drugs industry) in that quantity (6 20' containers going by the weight of it) and going to Myanmar are huge red flags.
Well, no, he wasn't legitimate. A lot of the items were illegally excavated or collected and smuggled out. Many had fake provenance paperwork. A lot of museums are now in possession of what are, essentially, stolen pieces of artwork because of him.
No country. Latchford himself was a noted collector and smuggler of Khmer antiquities. He mostly bought the items either in Cambodia or from dealers in Thailand, built a personal collection as well as supplying pieces to museums around the world.