Exclusive: Huge fentanyl haul seized in Asia's biggest-ever drugs bust

[snoop1130]

Exclusive: Huge fentanyl haul seized in Asia's biggest-ever drugs bust

By Tom Allard

 

Precursor chemicals used to make illicit drugs such as methamphetamine, ketamine, heroin and fentanyl seized by Myanmar police and military are seen in this undated photo near Loikan village in Shan State, between February and April 2020 in what the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime described as Asia's biggest-ever drug bust. Myanmar Police/UNODC/Handout via REUTERS

 

JAKARTA (Reuters) - Myanmar police say they have seized a huge haul of liquid fentanyl, the first time one of the dangerous synthetic opioids that have ravaged North America has been found in Asia's Golden Triangle drug-producing region.

 

In a signal that Asia's drug syndicates have moved into the lucrative opioid market, Reuters can reveal more than 3,700 litres of methylfentanyl was discovered by anti-narcotics police near Loikan village in Shan State in northeast Myanmar.

 

The seizure of the fentanyl derivative was part of Asia's biggest-ever interception of illicit drugs, precursors and drug-making equipment, including 193 million methamphetamine tablets known as yaba. At 17.5 tonnes, the yaba almost equalled the amount seized in the previous two years in Myanmar.

 

The U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) said the scale of the bust was unprecedented and Myanmar's anti-drug authorities had "dismantled a significant network" during a two-month operation involving police and military. Also seized were almost 163,000 litres and 35.5 tonnes of drug precursors, as well as weapons. There were more than 130 arrests.

 

Even so, the methylfentanyl discovery was an ominous indicator for the region's illicit drug market, the U.N. agency and a Western official based in Myanmar told Reuters.

 

"It could be a game-changer because fentanyl is so potent that its widespread use would cause a major health concern for Myanmar and the region," said the Western official, who declined to be identified.

 

In an interview with Reuters, the head of law enforcement for Myanmar’s counter-narcotics agency, Colonel Zaw Lin, said the methylfentanyl had been verified using state-of-the-art equipment.

 

The seizure showed the methods of the drug syndicates were changing, he said.

 

Fentanyl and its derivatives have caused more than 130,000 overdose deaths in the United States and Canada in the past five years, according to government agencies. The opioid epidemic has not swept Asia, Europe or Australasia but there have been signs it is an emerging threat.

 

"We have repeatedly warned the region fentanyl could become a problem but this is off the charts," said the UNODC's Southeast Asia and the Pacific representative Jeremy Douglas.

 

"It is the shift in the market we have been anticipating, and fearing."

 

DEADLY MIX

 

While Myanmar police did not disclose the purity and exact make-up of the methylfentanyl found, it comes in two main variants, both more potent than fentanyl, according to the European Union's drug monitoring agency.

 

Fentanyl itself is 25 to 50 times stronger than heroin.

 

Increasingly, drug traffickers have been mixing fentanyl and its derivatives with heroin, meth and cocaine, adding to their potency and lethality.

 

Half of all heroin and cocaine overdoses in the United States included substances with traces of synthetic opioids in 2017, a Rand Corporation analysis found.

 

A Canadian survey found 73% of those who tested positive for fentanyl did not know they had consumed it.

 

Zaw Lin said the methylfentanyl and other drugs and precursors were found in clearings near Loikan village where several drug factories were located but had been abandoned when the raids took place.

 

"Upon interrogation, the offenders revealed most of the drugs would be distributed inside Myanmar and distributed around neighbouring countries," he said.

 

"But we are still conducting interrogations. We haven’t totally got the final destinations yet."

 

Liquid fentanyl is usually converted into powder before being sold, often in tablet form, two analysts, who asked not to be identified, told Reuters.

 

CHEAP TO MAKE, EASY TO TRAFFIC

 

As well as being easier and cheaper to produce than heroin, strong synthetic opioids like fentanyl can be readily concealed and transported as only small amounts can deliver thousands of doses.

 

At a time when the coronavirus pandemic has closed borders and curbed movements in many countries, the UNODC is concerned that fentanyl will still spread around the world.

 

For decades, Asian crime syndicates in partnership with ethnic minority militias have used the Golden Triangle - centred on northern Myanmar and including parts of Laos and Thailand - to grow opium and refine heroin.

 

More recently, meth production by groups such as the Sam Gor syndicate has exploded in the region, in part due to a crackdown in neighbouring China.

 

Zaw Lin said the methylfentanyl had come from a neighbouring country but declined to identify it. Myanmar police documents reviewed by Reuters said most of the seized drugs, precursors and equipment had come from China.

 

China, along with Mexico, has been a major supplier of fentanyl to North America but escalating law enforcement efforts have brought a slump in Chinese exports of the synthetic opioid to the United States, according to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.

 

Mexican cartels have picked up the slack but the UNODC said recent difficulties obtaining precursors from China had crimped their fentanyl production.

 

Northern Myanmar's proximity to China makes it an attractive alternative for Asian drug syndicates looking to produce fentanyl and other synthetic opioids, analysts said.

 

"The alliances between Myanmar's ethnic militias and transnational crime groups must be broken or the synthetic drug problem will continue to deteriorate," said the UNODC's Douglas.

 

Zaw Lin said Myanmar was stepping up efforts to disrupt the syndicates and was increasing cooperation with other nations.

 

"Myanmar is carrying out counter-drug operations as one of our top national priorities," he said.

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2020-05-18

 

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[Mama Noodle]

More Chinese underground chemicals to kill more people. If its not a virus, its drugs. 

[Why Me]

Lordie, that stuff's toxic gold, literally. That haul in Myanmar was probably worth a hundred mil. There'll be seriously bad hombres running those labs with law enforcement officers in the vicinity bought off with six figures each. I wouldn't go backpacking in the Golden Triangle any time soon. I like my head attached to my neck not placed on my chest.

Edited May 18, 2020 by Why Me

[KC 71]

On 5/18/2020 at 6:35 PM, Mama Noodle said:

More Chinese underground chemicals to kill more people. If its not a virus, its drugs. 

Blah blah <deleted> blah.

[Mama Noodle]

On 5/18/2020 at 6:52 PM, KC 71 said:

Blah blah <deleted> blah.

 

Its true though. Dunno why it upsets you so much. 

[n00dle]

This is scary, when fetanyl hit british colombia, opiod junkies and professionals who liked to dabble recreationally in things like ecstacy and coke were waking up dead.

 

This could have deadly and far reaching consequences to many demographics. 

Edited May 18, 2020 by n00dle

[misterjames]

Quote

Zaw Lin said the methylfentanyl had come from a neighbouring country but declined to identify it.

I wonder which country that could be then ???? same one exporting virus's no doubt

[misterjames]

1 hour ago, Mama Noodle said:

More Chinese underground chemicals to kill more people. If its not a virus, its drugs. 

It's warfare same way they are closing the tap (Mekong) on 60 million people that depend on it in SE Asia. 

[Damrongsak]

"... 3,700 litres of methylfentanyl ..."

 

How many fatal doses would that be?

[Mama Noodle]

1 hour ago, Damrongsak said:

"... 3,700 litres of methylfentanyl ..."

 

How many fatal doses would that be?

 

Enough to kill a significant portion of the population of that country, if injected in a vein. 

[n00dle]

1 hour ago, Mama Noodle said:

 

Enough to kill a significant portion of the population of that country, if injected in a vein. 

Beyond that, a few stay grains of fentanyl used to increase potency in a dose of something else can render it lethal.

 

No injection required, just neck the wrong pill or snort the wrong line and it is over.

 

There is very little margin for error and a miscalibrated device can cause fatalities.

 

This kind of puts it into persepective:

 

 

https://www.statnews.com/2016/09/29/why-fentanyl-is-deadlier-than-heroin/

 

 

Edited May 18, 2020 by n00dle

[yuyiinthesky]

I’m happy to see such good news!

Please continue, catch them all, and burn or destroy all right away.

[n00dle]

2 hours ago, Damrongsak said:

"... 3,700 litres of methylfentanyl ..."

 

How many fatal doses would that be?

Its unimaginable.

[BeltAndRoad]

Came from a neighboring Country, I can see a bag with Zhilong written on it so.....

Edited May 18, 2020 by BeltAndRoad

[Damrongsak]

2 hours ago, yuyiinthesky said:

I’m happy to see such good news!

Please continue, catch them all, and burn or destroy all right away.

Right you are.  I'd be scared to have to handle much of that stuff to dispose of it.  And what does it take to safely destroy it?  Hazmat city.

[Damrongsak]

3 hours ago, n00dle said:

... This kind of puts it into persepective:

 

And this is Methylfentanyl, which is much more potent.  

[phkauf]

China is by far the largest supplier of this poison. When will the West wake up to the fact the Chinese Government looks the other way while this continues. Nothing goes on in China without the government knowing about it - the surveillance network is so dominant they can't claim ignorance of what's going on. It's just one more way for Xi and company to harm the West. Western Governments know what is going on, but until recently they were too afraid to upset China.

China views this as some sort of payback for the Opium Wars, which was a very damaging shameful period in China's history. In Xi's twisted mind, this would restore China's prestige as the West collapses. 

At the very least, there should be serious discussion about boycotting or cancelling the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing. China needs to get the message their behavior is unacceptable.

[Burma Bill]

12 hours ago, yuyiinthesky said:

I’m happy to see such good news!

Please continue, catch them all, and burn or destroy all right away.

Yes indeed, and congratulations to the Burmese Law Enforcement Authorities! How many punters will now get withdrawal symptoms?

[digger70]

17 hours ago, Mama Noodle said:

More Chinese underground chemicals to kill more people. If its not a virus, its drugs. 

No one Makes/forces one to Take it.  ????

[Dap]

Wow! This is a monster bust that could very well have saved a few hundred thousand lives around the world.

[natway09]

Hang on a minute !!!........ This is the bi annual declaration by Burma announcing the fact that their

Government is alive & well fighting the drug war, which of course is just the PR job.

The facts are that the top 6 Government officials (the other 2 have disappeared) have only one eye for the other 5 months and are all billionares. Ask Switzerland

 

 

[Captain_Bob]

"Asia's biggest-ever drugs bust" 

Technically that is incorrect English. In this instance, "bust" is a noun, while "drug" is an adjective describing the noun and should therefore not be plural with an "s", hence the correct form would be "drug bust" in the singular form. It would be like saying "grammars Nazi' instead of correct "grammar Nazi". 

Edited May 19, 2020 by Captain_Bob

[Redline]

On 5/18/2020 at 9:49 PM, Mama Noodle said:

 

Enough to kill a significant portion of the population of that country, if injected in a vein. 

Small children have died by touching it

[Susco]

3 minutes ago, Redline said:

Small children have died by touching it

Fentanyl indeed enters through the skin, that is also why fentanyl stickers are available on prescription.

[Redline]

33 minutes ago, Susco said:

Fentanyl indeed enters through the skin, that is also why fentanyl stickers are available on prescription.

No need to make it so dangerously potent 

[torturedsole]

That's one shipment.  Was this fentanyl destined for the SE Asia market?  I suspect not.

[RickG16]

On 5/18/2020 at 8:53 PM, n00dle said:

 professionals who liked to dabble recreationally in things like ecstacy and coke were waking up dead.

 

 

Is that because they were taking something they thought was those things, or because the fent was stronger than they realised?

[Traubert]

On 5/19/2020 at 12:37 PM, phkauf said:

China is by far the largest supplier of this poison. When will the West wake up to the fact the Chinese Government looks the other way while this continues. Nothing goes on in China without the government knowing about it - the surveillance network is so dominant they can't claim ignorance of what's going on. It's just one more way for Xi and company to harm the West. Western Governments know what is going on, but until recently they were too afraid to upset China.

China views this as some sort of payback for the Opium Wars, which was a very damaging shameful period in China's history. In Xi's twisted mind, this would restore China's prestige as the West collapses. 

At the very least, there should be serious discussion about boycotting or cancelling the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing. China needs to get the message their behavior is unacceptable.

China, along with Mexico, has been a major supplier of fentanyl to North America but escalating law enforcement efforts have brought a slump in Chinese exports of the synthetic opioid to the United States, according to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.

 

Mexican cartels have picked up the slack but the UNODC said recent difficulties obtaining precursors from China had crimped their fentanyl production.

 

You're wrong.

[KC 71]

On 5/18/2020 at 7:39 PM, Mama Noodle said:

 

Its true though. Dunno why it upsets you so much. 

Some of us have Family there

[Mama Noodle]

10 minutes ago, KC 71 said:

Some of us have Family there

 

Your family should be just as outraged as the rest of us.