The explosion in the meth trade, from an estimated US$15 billion in 2013, comes as powerful syndicates exploit endemic graft, weak law enforcement and lax border controls, the UN added. “The Asia-Pacific meth market is now the biggest in the world,” UNODC representative for Southeast Asia and the Pacific Jeremy Douglas said. “Of all the organized crime types, meth trafficking is the most dangerous and the most profitable. More than 12 million users in East Asia, Southeast Asia, Australia and New Zealand consumed about 320 tonnes of pure methamphetamine last year and a record 120 tonnes was seized by law enforcement. He said that casino numbers in Southeast Asia have swelled to 230 after a money-laundering crackdown in Macau.

Source: Taipei Times July 18, 2019 16:06 UTC