Expect A Narcotics Flood From Burma, US Drug Chief Warns Thailand

[webfact]

Expect a narcotics flood from Burma, US drug chief warns

By Supalak Ganjanakhundee

The Nation

The United States yesterday warned Thailand of an increase in production and export of illicit drugs from neighbouring Burma following the success of narcotics control activities in Afghanistan.

"Burma is likely to be a greater producer and a greater exporter of illicit drug in years ahead because of the success of the international community in controlling and reducing their flow from Afghanistan," said William Brownfield, US assistant secretary for the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law EnforcementAffairs. Brownfield was in Thailand yesterday to meet with narcoticsconcerned officials including the foreign minister, police chief, judges and the attorneygeneral to discuss cooperation on narcotics suppression.

Thailand, as an immediate neighbour to Burma, has to address the reality of increasing production and the transit of heroin, opium and methamphetamines and other artificial drugs in the years ahead, he said.

"Controlling a border requires a deep border strategy where you do not simply try to control your border checkpoints. You develop your information and intelligence well into the exporting country as well as your own country to control and identify those who are trafficking narcotics," he said.

The US would intensify its cooperation to support the new Thai government in fighting narcotics, he said, but noted that he hoped the new government would not operate the same way as previous governments in their war on drugs.

"We are consistently adjusting, modifying and improving our approach. Things we tried 1971 we don't do today since we have learnt what worked and did not work. I expect the same rules and laws apply to Thailand's law enforcement community as well as other communities in the world," he said.

Law enforcement for illicit drug combating should be adjusted to compete with narcotics syndicates, he said. "They are extremely well equipped in trafficking in illicit products they send to the market, therefore it's important for all of us to have the same skills. The key success is the cooperation among nations," he said.

Washington is also willing to extend cooperation in Burma on narcotics combating although the two countries have no full diplomatic relations, he said. But "we are willing to work on specific, concrete issues that are in the interest of Burma and the US. Drugs is one those issues."

-- The Nation 2011-09-16

[Bakseedaa]

Does the US really think anyone here in Thailand cares... its the police and army who allow these drugs to come through Thailand... who else..? moneys moneys moneys..... !

[GazR]

Sad but true.

Amazing Thailand: amazingly good people + amazingly bad government

Edited September 16, 2011 by metisdead
Bold and large fonts removed.

[JeremyBowskill]

Does this mean the U.S will be looking for a way to start a war in Burma so they can take control of the drugs trade much like afghanistan? or am I just being cynical?

[Thai at Heart]

Does this mean the U.S will be looking for a way to start a war in Burma so they can take control of the drugs trade much like afghanistan? or am I just being cynical?

If you want WW3 as the Chinese are all over Burma, then yeah, send in the cavalry.

[ralphlsasser]

Does this mean the U.S will be looking for a way to start a war in Burma so they can take control of the drugs trade much like afghanistan? or am I just being cynical?

That should be obvious. You're cynical.

[edgarfriendly]

Does this mean the U.S will be looking for a way to start a war in Burma so they can take control of the drugs trade much like afghanistan? or am I just being cynical?

Not cynical at all.

You got it right 1st time!!

ef

[Somtamnication]

I think the merkins should try to control their borders with Mexico before they can preach to others on how to protect theirs.

[Mosha]

A Farang advising Thailand, yep that'll work.

[scotbeve]

Does the US really think anyone here in Thailand cares... its the police and army who allow these drugs to come through Thailand... who else..? moneys moneys moneys..... !

Bakseedaa,

Don't forget the boys and girls in Customs as well!!!

[robertthesculptor]

Does this mean the U.S will be looking for a way to start a war in Burma so they can take control of the drugs trade much like afghanistan? or am I just being cynical?

I think you are not so far off base...beware of the tactics of building fear...and building a dependency on another government "for support".

[scotbeve]

Does this mean the U.S will be looking for a way to start a war in Burma so they can take control of the drugs trade much like afghanistan? or am I just being cynical?

Jeremy,

The completely failed and VERY expensive attempts by the (BNDD) DEA and Homeland Security should be considered by any government ANYWHERE. I think (and this number I'm going to give is only given from my "fair" (only)memory) that 4 Trillion ($4,000,000,000,000) dollars since the 1968, is an absurd waste vs. the incoming confiscated assets of the DEA. Drug suppression is on the top of the Homeland Security expenditures - terrorism is on the bottom.

From: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arguments_for_and_against_drug_prohibition#Arguments_that_prohibitive_drug_laws_are_ineffective

The United States efforts at drug prohibition started out with a US$ 350 million budget in 1971, and was in 2006 a US$ 30 billion campaign.^[86] These numbers only include direct prohibition enforcement expenditures, and as such only represent part of the total cost of prohibition. This $ 30 billion figure rises dramatically once other issues, such as the economic impact of holding 400,000 prisoners on prohibition violations, are factored in.^[87]

Please note: from several sources (which I hope to find the sources in my unorganized filing system...) have quoted that just legalization of cannabis alone could generate 40 - 100 billion dollars in revenue taking into consideration the roll-on economic effects. The loss of DEA jobs would be in the area of 300,000 whereas the legalization process, if won, would generated far more jobs than 300,000. The mind boggles.

[EnSvenskTiger]

Best tokeep the DEA people outside Thailand! Once they are in they can do a lot of damageand are hard to get rid of.

This from Bolivia: http://www.reuters.com/article/2008/11/02/us-bolivia-usa-dea-idUSTRE4A01IW20081102

"There were DEA (DrugEnforcement Administration) agents that were doing political espionage, ...financing criminal groups so that they could act against authorities, even thepresident," Morales said.

I think the US don’t likeThailand gone “Red shirt” and now are thinking of ways to change back.

Tiger

[NowImEasy]

Does this mean the U.S will be looking for a way to start a war in Burma so they can take control of the drugs trade much like afghanistan? or am I just being cynical?

No Jeremy, you are not being cynical. You are just being a stupid as***le!

[NowImEasy]

Best tokeep the DEA people outside Thailand! Once they are in they can do a lot of damageand are hard to get rid of.

This from Bolivia: http://www.reuters.com/article/2008/11/02/us-bolivia-usa-dea-idUSTRE4A01IW20081102

"There were DEA (DrugEnforcement Administration) agents that were doing political espionage, ...financing criminal groups so that they could act against authorities, even thepresident," Morales said.

I think the US don't likeThailand gone "Red shirt" and now are thinking of ways to change back.

Tiger

The DEA has been here since the Vietnam war and has helped the Thai government in fighting the drug traffic. Narcotics fund the Taliban in Afghanistan, and narcotics could possibly fund communists here or the Jihadis in the South. I doubt very much whether the DEA has such an interest in Thai politics that they would interfere with the internal affairs of a good friend and ally like Thailand.

But I would suggest to the DEA to bring the confiscated drugs to Stockholm to fund an insurgency against the communist regime in Sweden.. (Joking, of course, Tiger my friend!)

[JeremyBowskill]

Does this mean the U.S will be looking for a way to start a war in Burma so they can take control of the drugs trade much like afghanistan? or am I just being cynical?

No Jeremy, you are not being cynical. You are just being a stupid as***le!

Thanks for your kind words and your eloquent imput. xxxxxxxx

[Para]

Given the majority of Yaba comes from Burma and a huge amount of Ice is also being manufactured there its hardly surprising they are stepping up production.

Any fool (well most) would see the chance of getting caught crossing the Burmese/Thai border with a car/boat full of drugs is a lot easier than flying it in via Swampy. It costs the same to make anywhere in the world but Burmese ICE doesn't carry the transportation costs and there is already well used routes to get the stuff here.

You think catching the mules at the airport shows the level of drugs in LoS, sorry I mean MT! then you are sadly mistaken. If the government wants to really do something on the drug availability then sort out its own land borders first. Problem is the Thai army assists in getting it into MT then the local BiB's distribute.

[bhakta]

What do they mean by a flood? My kids are in Thai schools here in Bangkok and their are drugs everywhere, being used by everyone. Weed, speed, booze, pills, coke, etc. There is already a flood of drugs here, who are they kidding?

[bhakta]

The profits in the Yaa-baa/Ice trade are so phenomenal... Is it any surprise if the police and army were facilitating it?

[Para]

The profits in the Yaa-baa/Ice trade are so phenomenal... Is it any surprise if the police and army were facilitating it?

Agreed.

Yabe in Burma sub 50BT in bulk

Ice to make sub 500BT/g

Transportation costs sweet FA

Thai Fat Cats must be lapping up domestic drugs coming in as they are back on the gravy train......

[jts-khorat]

Best tokeep the DEA people outside Thailand! Once they are in they can do a lot of damageand are hard to get rid of.

This from Bolivia: http://www.reuters.com/article/2008/11/02/us-bolivia-usa-dea-idUSTRE4A01IW20081102

"There were DEA (DrugEnforcement Administration) agents that were doing political espionage, ...financing criminal groups so that they could act against authorities, even thepresident," Morales said.

I think the US don't likeThailand gone "Red shirt" and now are thinking of ways to change back.

Tiger

The DEA has been here since the Vietnam war and has helped the Thai government in fighting the drug traffic. Narcotics fund the Taliban in Afghanistan, and narcotics could possibly fund communists here or the Jihadis in the South. I doubt very much whether the DEA has such an interest in Thai politics that they would interfere with the internal affairs of a good friend and ally like Thailand.

But I would suggest to the DEA to bring the confiscated drugs to Stockholm to fund an insurgency against the communist regime in Sweden.. (Joking, of course, Tiger my friend!)

Actually it is difficult to be much wronger: under the Taliban, drug fields were outlawed -- only after their defeat and with the clan lords winning back control has the trade in drugs mushroomed.

[darreno65]

I think the merkins should try to control their borders with Mexico before they can preach to others on how to protect theirs.

I was just thinking the same thing....Who is he to preach to Thailand on how to control their borders when the U.S. has absolutely NO success in controlling their own?

I'm a U.S. citizen and it gripes my hide sometimes how hypocritical the (all) government can be.

[pacovl46]

Does this mean the U.S will be looking for a way to start a war in Burma so they can take control of the drugs trade much like afghanistan? or am I just being cynical?

That should be obvious. You're cynical.

It's spot on and NOT CYNICAL!!!

[lovelaos]

Yep, the yanks are not happy unless they are starting wars that they cannot win.

[qdinthailand]

" Things we tried 1971 we don't do today since we have learnt what worked and did not work."

So 40 years later, same stuff, another day.

I would say the approach the U.S. is taking on the "war on drugs" is not working - for the same reason you can't make booze illegal. It just criminalizes what people do. All it does is raise the price, makes some crime syndicates very wealthy.

Time to rethink the war on drugs - not the tactics.

[David006]

maybe unrelated but wife just told me a local radio station here in the south said that the recent helicopter crashes at the border were not "accidents"..maybe shot down..no idea of the original source or authenticity?

.... the news item also indicated there are a lot of "rich" people in the area....make of it what you will

[Para]

" Things we tried 1971 we don't do today since we have learnt what worked and did not work."

So 40 years later, same stuff, another day.

I would say the approach the U.S. is taking on the "war on drugs" is not working - for the same reason you can't make booze illegal. It just criminalizes what people do. All it does is raise the price, makes some crime syndicates very wealthy.

Time to rethink the war on drugs - not the tactics.

I agree trying to fight the problem is impossible but it take balls to implement legislation legally controlling it.

Look at Amsterdam, grass is legal in controlled cafe's and areas and it works.

Fact is drugs are here to stay regardless. So either take control of distribution/cost/quality/control or leave it to the mafia's. Problem is look at the crime directly related to drugs and the spin off connections e.g. proposition its all controlled by the same money.

Until drugs are accepted as being here there will never be even a dent in the money the king pin's are making. Now take that away from them by decriminalizing it and controlling quality and distribution just think of the tax revenue that would generate.

Sure I am going to get flames by naive old timers but your day has gone its time to understand and accept the dynamics of the drug culture is absolutely ingrained in society like it or not it is simple IMPOSSIBLE to eradicate.

[AngelofDeath]

The reason why some countries, such as the US, failed in their wars against drugs is because their stance is weak. There's no death penalty. Only when the Grim Reaper is involved, then only will the drugs problem be under control.

Edited September 16, 2011 by AngelofDeath

[NanaFoods]

I think the merkins should try to control their borders with Mexico before they can preach to others on how to protect theirs.

I was just thinking the same thing....Who is he to preach to Thailand on how to control their borders when the U.S. has absolutely NO success in controlling their own?

I'm a U.S. citizen and it gripes my hide sometimes how hypocritical the (all) government can be.

Ditto.

I'm an US citizen as well.

It's embarrassing the amount of hypocrisy that pours out of our gov't.

[SteeleJoe]

Best tokeep the DEA people outside Thailand!

Bit late I'm afraid. They've been here for decades.