East and Southeast Asia meth seizures hit record in 2023: UN

Over a kilo of methamphetamine was seized en route to or on sea routes throughout 2023 and into the early 2024, according to the UN business.

In one of the largest ever one seizures of the improper medicine, Thai authorities intercepted a kilogram of crystal meth earlier this month.

According to UNODC, drug gangs are altering their methods to increase their production.

” Structured crime groups are lowering the manufacturing costs and scaling up manufacturing by using non- controlled compounds”, Masood Karimipour, the organisation’s member for Southeast Asia and the Pacific, said in a statement.

He claimed that increased manufacturing is allowing larger shipments, which are lowering costs.

The business reported that despite the higher levels of inflation and large seizures, the prices of meth and ketamine had continued to decline.

According to the report, the retail price of methamphetamine is currently at US$ 400 per gram in production areas.

And the UN warned that new manufactured pharmaceutical products are on the market that are aimed at young users.

Therefore- called “happy waters” sachets and “party lollipops”- containing unexpected mixes of substances like ketamine, MDMA and benzodiazepines- are becoming extremely applicable.