In 2012, the financial value of opium produced in Laos and Myanmar was estimated to be worth $431 Million, according to the United Nations.The value of the opium from the two countries was a third higher than in 2011.
Tag: Laos Security Threats
Human Smuggling Fee from Laos
According to the United Nations, migrants in Laos pay less than $190 for human smuggling services that brings them into Thailand. If the migrant were to use formal labor migration services, the cost would be between $490 to $590.
Thailand is considered a major destination for migrants from Laos.
Ivory For Sale in Laos
In a survey carried out by international wildlife organization TRAFFIC, a total of 2,493 pieces of ivory was for sale in the capital of Laos in August 2011. The number of illegal ivory for sale was higher than the roughly 100 ivory items that were available for sale in 2002.
Minors in Thailand’s Sex Trade
Human trafficking experts in Thailand report that the age of the youngest girls in the prostitution industry in Thailand are between the ages of 11 to 15. Many of the girls enters the prostitution trade to make money for their families.
Heroin Abuse in Malaysia
In 2012, there were an estimated 170,000 drug users in Malaysia. A majority of the intravenous drug users in the country abused heroin. Of all the drug arrests in the country, about half were for abusing opiates. The heroin that is used in Malaysia is trafficked from Myanmar, Laos and West Asia.
Most Widely Used Drug in Asian Countries
The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime reported in 2011 that methamphetamine was the most widely used drug in the following Asian countries: Brunei, Cambodia, Japan, Laos, the Philippines, South Korea, and Thailand.
Crystal meth in Thailand produced in Myanmar and Laos
Law enforcement in Thailand reported that up to 90 percent of crystal methamphetamine seized in Thailand was produced across the border in Myanmar and Laos. Crystal meth is the most popular drug used by people aged 15 to 24 in Thailand.
Timber Smuggled into Vietnam From Laos Each Year
The Environmental Investigation Agency reported that up to 500,000 cubic meters of timber is illegally logged and smuggled into Vietnam from Laos every year. The timber is valued at $150 Million.
How Bear Bile is Extracted
The bile is usually extracted twice a day from bears that are locked up in “crush” cages that are designed to be extremely small so that the bear is unable to stand or move. The bile is collected using a free-flowing drip method into a tube that is attached to the bear’s gall bladder. In order to slowly extract the bear bile, a opening in the bear’s stomach area must be kept open.
Drug seizures in Laos
From 2010 to July 2011, authorities in Laos estimated that they have seized up to $100 Million worth of illegal drugs. Seizures of methamphetamine tablets in the country rose from one million in 2008 to 24 million in 2010. The price of one methamphetamine tablet is sold on the black market in Laos for $4 to $6.