"Surge in Synthetic Drug Production"…Ketamine Seizures Significantly Increased

Asia Drug Trade Returns to Pre-COVID Levels
Criminal Groups Resume Activities in the 'Golden Triangle'
Ketamine Production and Distribution Data Lacking...Urgent Research Needed

The production and distribution of synthetic drugs in Asia are returning to pre-COVID-19 levels.

On the 2nd, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) announced that methamphetamine continues to be produced and distributed in East Asia and Southeast Asia, and the production of other synthetic drugs, including ketamine, is also rapidly increasing.

In the report titled "Synthetic Drugs in East Asia and Southeast Asia" released that day, UNODC explained that the production of synthetic drugs in the region has exploded and diversified.

Seized drugs.

Last year, 151 tons of methamphetamine were seized in East Asia and Southeast Asia. This amount has returned to pre-COVID-19 levels.

The amount of ketamine seized reached 27.4 tons last year, a 167% increase compared to 2021, with most countries, including South Korea, reporting increased ketamine seizures.

There were also cases where large quantities of methamphetamine and ketamine were distributed together across Asia and seized. This indicates that criminal groups distributed both types of drugs simultaneously as ketamine demand increased.

Jeremy Douglas, UNODC Regional Representative for Asia and the Pacific, stated, "The activities of transnational criminal groups in the Golden Triangle region, which had slowed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, are becoming active again," adding, "Since the end of last year, movements have returned to pre-pandemic levels."

The so-called "Golden Triangle," the border area of Thailand, Myanmar, and Laos, is known to produce 25% of the world's narcotics. In particular, Thailand is considered a major distribution route for drugs produced in this area.

Shim In-sik, Senior Analyst at UNODC, explained, "The production and distribution of ketamine in Asia resemble the supply-driven expansion of the methamphetamine market in the mid-2010s," adding, "Since it is unclear how widely ketamine is distributed, research on this is urgently needed."

Meanwhile, according to local media such as the Bangkok Post, Thai police arrested a 26-year-old Korean national named Kim in the Sattahip area of Chonburi Province on the 31st of last month for smuggling drugs from Thailand to South Korea.

South Korean investigative authorities reportedly placed Kim, who fled to Thailand in July last year, on the Interpol Red Notice list and sought cooperation from Thai authorities.

On the 30th of last month, Moon Seung-hyun, the South Korean Ambassador to Thailand, visited the Thai Office of the Narcotics Control Board (ONCB) to discuss strengthening bilateral cooperation in drug control.