The chaotic country is now a magnet for criminal syndicates, particularly from China, destabilizing law enforcement across much of Asia.
Tag: Methamphetamines
The Once Booming Drug Town Going Bust Under Taliban Rule
Funding its war against the United States, the Taliban reaped millions from boom towns trading opium, heroin and meth. Victorious, the group crushed the trade, leaving ghost towns in its wake.
New Zealand Charity Accidentally Gives Away Meth Disguised as Candy
Police were racing to recover the fake sweets, each of which contained up to 300 doses of methamphetamine. Three people sought medical attention.
Canada Decriminalizes Opioids and Other Drugs in British Columbia
With opioid deaths skyrocketing in the western province, Canada has temporarily decriminalized the substance and three others for personal use.
On Syria’s Ruins, a Drug Empire Flourishes
Powerful associates of Syria’s president, Bashar al-Assad, are making and selling captagon, an illegal amphetamine, creating a new narcostate on the Mediterranean.
China Upholds Death Sentence for Robert Lloyd Schellenberg
Robert Lloyd Schellenberg initially received 15 years in prison for methamphetamine trafficking. But he was handed a death sentence in a one-day retrial in 2019.
Asia’s ‘El Chapo’ Is Arrested in Amsterdam
Tse Chi Lop, said to be the leader of a multibillion-dollar drug syndicate, was arrested in Amsterdam and faces extradition to Australia.
Myanmar Raids Reveal New Production of Fentanyl, a Killer Drug
China’s crackdown on makers of the drug, which has fueled the U.S. opioid crisis, may have simply created opportunities for crime syndicates elsewhere.
Iraq Faces a New Adversary: Crystal Meth
Growing addiction is the most recent manifestation of how Iraq’s social order has frayed in the years following the 2003 U.S. invasion.
Crystal Meth Is North Korea’s Trendiest Lunar New Year’s Gift
Many North Koreans see the highly addictive drug as a useful stimulant. The government denies that it even exists in the country.