Thailand has seen a surge in illegal drugs trafficked from neighboring Myanmar and a sharp increase in methamphetamines and heroin seizures, as a civil war adds fuel to the regional drug trade, a senior Thai counter-narcotics official said.
The northern region remains the main trafficking route into Thailand, with dealers going through the mountains or on the Mekong river to bring in methamphetamine tablets and crystal meth, also known as ice, said Apikit Ch.Rojprasert, deputy secretary-general of Office of the Narcotics Control Board (ONCB).
Thai authorities said organized crime networks have allied with militias and rebel groups to set up "super labs" in Myanmar's Shan and Kachin States.
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