Meth Trafficking is Riding Super Highway of Global Trade (Part 3)

The use of human mules to traffic illegal drugs, one of the most time-tested and expendable methods, is decimated by the closure of national borders resulted from the COVID-19 pandemic. However, this development has the unintended effect of drug cartels shifting to take advantage of legitimate supply chains to facilitate drug trafficking. Methamphetamine, one of the most profitable illicit drugs, is going along for the ride. By Lee Kok Leong, executive editor, Maritime Fairtrade

The maritime connection

There are substantial maritime flows of meth from ports in Yangon and the southern regions of Myanmar, via the Andaman Sea into Central and Southern Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, and other parts of the region.

Traditionally, drug cartels transport illicit drugs into different countries through human mules, overland routes and unofficial seaports. However, as smugglers are circumventing international travel lockdown, more drugs are now being transported using the same maritime infrastructure and routes as legitimate trade.

Southeast Asia’s regional connectivity initiatives that boost legitimate cross-border trade are also helping to provide opportunities for drug traffickers to illicitly import precursor chemicals and export meth and other synthetic drugs.

Specifically, UNODC says that maritime drug trafficking will likely expand as the region’s economic connections proliferate. This is not surprising given that 90 percent of global trade flows through the ocean. Moreover, compare to other transport modes like air, there is relatively less security at maritime borders and less screening of cargoes onboard ships. Maritime transport is also less expensive and can hold a much larger quantity than air transport.