Drug trafficker gets
jail terms
YANGON,
27 April — Myitkyina District Court handed down separate sentences on a
21-year-old man, three years’ imprisonment for drug abuse and another 20 years’
for possession, on 19 February.
The man, Myat Kyaw Oo, was arrested together with 5.958 kilos of opium on 8
March at a place between Mogaung and Htopoo railway stations while riding the
Mandalay-Myitkyina Up-55 train. Acting on information, a combined team of local
Intelligence unit members and railway police made a search and found the drugs
in his possession. He is son of U Win Maung of Taung Laylon village, Shwenyaung.
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Heroin
possessors given life sentence
Yangon,
25 April—A combined team comprising members of local intelligence unit, Yangon
Special Anti-Drug Squad, Bago Special Anti-Drug Squad and Myanmar Police Force
of Yangon North District, acting on information, arrested Aung Kyaw Soe (a) Htan
Thi at Bayintnaung Cinema in Tamway Township on 24 November 2000.
Further information led to the
seizure of 36 grams of heroin concealed in two soap boxes each containing 18
grams of heroin at room-6 of servant quarters 118 in Railway Compound, Mahlwagon
Ward, Mingala Taungnyunt Township, where Aung Kyaw Soe (a) Htan Thi stayed at.
Action was taken against ten
persons—Aung Kyaw Soe (a) Htan Thi, 23, son of U Aung Than, of Ywakauk Ward,
Pyinmana Township; Kyin Hoke (a) Zaw San (a) Nyunt Win, 27, son of U Kyi Sheik,
of No 46, Shwe-U Daung Street, Palemyine Compound, West Kanna Ward, Insein
Township; Kyaw Kyaw, 28, son of U Tun Oke, of Kazunkhin Street, West Kanna Ward,
Insein; Aung Myo Win (a) Kalar, 26, son of U Ohn Kyi, of No 304, 1st Saikpyoyay
Street, Singu Ward, Insein; San Lwin, 28, son of U Thein Han, of No 26, 1 st
Kanthaya Lane, Kyunthayar Ward, Insein; Tin Htay Aung, 21, son of U Tun Kyaing,
of No 118, Bawga Park Street, Ward 8, Shwepyitha; Thet Naing Tun, 25, son of U
Than Tun; Ma Cho (a) Khin Mar Cho, 22, daughter of U Khin Maung, of 1st Myothit
Street, Ka/Kha Ward, Insein; Khin Maung Win (a) Kalar Lay, 32, son of U Tun Khin,
of No 473, Nilar Street, Kanna Anauk Patamya Ward, Insein and Khin Aung (a) Bo
Khin, 40, son of U Tin Ngwe, of No 161, Pathein Park Street, Ward 6, Shwepyitha
under Section 15/19(A)/21 of Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Law by
Mingala Taungnyunt Police Station in connection with the case.
Aung Kyaw Soe (a) Htan Thi was
sentenced to life sentence under Section 19 (A), Kyin Hoke (a) Zaw San (a) Nyunt
Win, Kyaw Kyaw, Aung Myo Win (a) Kalar, San Lwin, Tin Htay Aung, Thet Naing Tun,
Mi Cho (a) Khin Ma Cho and Khin Maung Win (a) Kalar Lay to life sentence under
Section 19 (A)/21, and Khin Aung (a) Bo Khin to 5 years’ imprisonment under
Section 15 and life sentence under Section 19 (A)/21 of Narcotic Drugs and
Psychotropic Substances Law by Yangon East District Court on 6 April 2001.
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Hosting
of ministerial level meeting on MoU on drug control and senior officials meeting
in Myanmar coordinated
Yangon,
23 April— A coordination meeting on hosting the ministerial level meeting on
MoU on drug control and senior officials meeting in Myanmar from 7 to 11 May was
held at the Ministry of Home Affairs today.
Chairman of the Central
Committee for Drug Abuse Control Minister for Home Affairs Col Tin Hlaing said
the ministerial level meeting of Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, China, Cambodia and
Vietnam that signed MoU on drug control in the sub-region, Senior Officials
Committee Meeting and High Level Bilateral (HILB) Meeting will be held in Yangon
from 8 to 11 May.
Myanmar will host the
meetings in cooperation with UNDCP. The ministerial level meeting was
alternatively held every two years in member nations and SOC meeting once a year
after signing the MoU on drug control in the sub-region by the countries
concerned in 1993. He said senior officials meeting was held two days before the
ministerial level meeting and HILB meeting were also held. This year, HILB
meetings of Myanmar-Thailand, Myanmar-China, Cambodia-Vietnam and
Cambodia-Thailand will be held on 8 May before the MoU meeting, he said.
The ministerial level
meetings were held in Beijing in 1995, in Bangkok in 1997 and in Vientiane in
1999 alternatively and senior official meetings were held for seven times. The
fourth MoU ministerial meeting will be held in Myanmar.He said that arrangements
have been made for the delegates to attend the 15th ceremony for destruction of
seized narcotic drugs and visit Kokang and Wa regions.A general round of
discussions was then followed.
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Over
4.48m stimulant tablets seized in Lashio
Yangon,
20 April — A combined group comprising members of local intelligence
unit, Lashio Special Anti-Drug Squad and Mandalay Special Anti-Drug Squad,
acting on information, discharged inspection duty on the road from Nawnghkio to
PyinOoLwin on 30 June 2000.
At 5.15 am, the authorities
searched a greenblue colour Dyna light truck with number plate Bha/5117 carrying
drums of tar at Bantbwe Village. They seized 4,486,000 pink colour stimulant
tablets weighing 403.74 kilos in the six drums out of 10 drums of tar.
Lashio No 1 Police Station filed
Ye Myint (a) Myo Myint, 43, son of U Haung Shin Pha of Koungkha Village, Kutkai
Township; Bauk Lan, 29, son of U Jan Maw Gan of Ward 3, Hsenwi; Aung Par, 34,
son of U De Lar who lives at the corner of 62nd and 41st Streets in Mandalay;
Twan Su Phar (a) Lauk Phar, 21, son of U Twan Kay Lu of Tamoenye Village, Kutkai
Township; and Yan Ta Yin, 45, son of U San Kyon of Ward 5 of Lashio under
Sections 15/ 19 (A)/ 21 of Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substance Law.
On 20 March, 2001, Lashio
District Court sentenced Ye Myint (a) Myo Myint to 20 years’ imprisonment
under Section 19 (A) and Bauk Lan, Aung Phar, Twan Su Phar (a) Lauk Phar and Yan
Ta Yin to 20 years’ each under Sections 19 (A)/ 21 of the law.
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Display
plan of Narcotic Drug Elimination Museum coordinated
Yangon,
20 April—The Central Committee for Drug Abuse Control held its work
coordination meeting on display
programme of the Narcotic Drug Elimination Museum at the meeting hall of the
museum on Kyundaw Street in Kamayut Township this afternoon.
Present on the occasion were
Secretary of CCDAC Director-General of Myanmar Police Force Police Maj-Gen Soe
Win and members of the Exhibiting Committee and the Work Committee and
departmental officials.
Speaking on the occasion,
Secretary of CCDAC Director-General of Myanmar
Police Force Police Maj-Gen Soe Win stressed the need to carry out the work in
time so as to display items at the museum splendidly and magnificently and on an
international scale. As Secretary-1 of the State Peace and Development Council
Lt-Gen Khin Nyunt has already given advice to officials, they should seek
approval from their ministries to ensure a standard exhibition.
He urged the officials concerned
to cooperate in their efforts to be able to open the museum on International Day
Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking.
This was followed by a general
round of discussions.The meeting came to a close with the concluding remarks by
the Secretary of CCDAC.
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Secretary-1
inspects Narcotic Drugs Elimination Museum
Yangon, 19 April — State Peace
and Development Council Secretary-1 Lt-Gen Khin Nyunt inspected Narcotic Drugs
Elimination Museum Project in Kamayut Township, and the convocation hall project
of State Pariyatti Sasana University (Yangon) in Mayangon Township this morning.
Accompanied by officials of the
State Peace and Development Council Office, the Secretary-1 arrived at Narcotic
Drugs Elimination Museum Project at 9.30 am and was welcomed by Chairman of
Central Committee for Drug Abuse Control Minister for Home Affairs Col Tin
Hlaing, Deputy Minister for Construction U Tint Swe, Deputy Minister for
Forestry Col Thaik Tun and Secretary of CCDAC Director-General of Myan-mar
Police Force Police Maj-Gen Soe Win and members.
At the briefing hall, the
Secretary-1 heard a report on progress in building the museum, display
programmes and beautifying of the compound presented by Minister Col Tin Hlaing.
Officials then presented progress of work and future tasks.
The Secretary-1 gave
suggestions, stressing the need to make efforts for emergence of a majestic
museum of international standard, to exhibit all the Myanmar’s drug
elimination tasks undertaken throughout the successive eras, to ensure complete
and systematic exposition in order to realize the aims of the museum and to grow
rare tree species in beautifying the compound.
During inspection of the
project, the Secretary-1 attended to the requirements of the officials.
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Drug
trafficker gets 25 years
Yangon,
18 April – A combined team comprising members of local intelligence unit and
Yangon Special Anti-Drug Squad, acting on information, searched the house of Mya
Thaung (a) Hlaing Bwa, 42, of a Minyekaungpon Street, Ward 104 in Dagon Myothit
(South) Township and arrested him together with 4.082 kilos of marijuana on 23
March, 2000. Dagon Myothit (South) Police Force filed him under Narcotic Drugs
and Psycho-tropic Substances Law. Yangon East District Court handed down five
years’ imprisonment under Section 15 and twenty years’ imprisonment under
Section 19 (A) to serve separately on him on 7 March.
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Marijuana possessor
punished
Yangon, 11 April – Yangon North
District Court punished a marijuana possessor giving him 25 years’ imprisonment
on 13 March this year. A combined team comprising members of local intelligence
and local Myanmar Police Force, acting on information, searched the house of
Kalapu (a) Nyunt Tin and seized 179.6 grams of marijuana on 26 August 2000.
Taikkyi Police Station took action against Kalapu (a) Nyunt Tin, 32, son of U
Han Tin of Wundan Kwetthit, Shanzu Ward, Taikkyi, under Section 15/19 (A) of
Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Law. Yangon North District Court
heard the case and sentenced him to 25 years in imprison under Section 19(A) of
the Law.
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Press
conference on Myanmar’s efforts on drug control
Y
angon,
9 April – A Press conference on Myanmar’s efforts to control hard drugs
was held at Tatmadaw Guest House on Inya Road this morning.
Present were Heads of Office of
Strategic Studies Col Thein Swe and Col Kyaw Thein, Director-General of Myanmar
Police Force Police Maj-Gen Soe Win, senior officers of the Ministry of Defence
and MPF, members of the Central Committee for Drug Abuse Control, President of
Foreign Correspondents Club U Sao Kai Hpa and correspondents and local and
foreign newsmen.
Head of Office of Strategic
Studies Col Thein Swe spoke on the occasion.
Head of Office of Strategic
Studies Col Kyaw Thein gave clarification on government’s efforts to control
hard drugs. He said that drug problem is an evil legacy of imperialists and it
not only tarnishes the prestige of the State and social norms but also poses a
danger to mankind of the world. The problem is related to honest national races
from hills. Therefore the government with deep consideration is making
arrangements for them. The drug issues exist not in a nation; there are cases of
illicit trafficking of hard drugs in other sovereign nations. Therefore, the
government has placed emphasis on launching the anti-drug campaign as a national
task in conjunction with non-governmental organizations, UN agencies,
neighbouring countries and those in sub-region.
In particular, the countries in
South-East Asian region including Myanmar are faced with opium and opium-related
narcotic drugs, heroin, Amphetamine Type Stimulants (ATS), Ecstasy, Cannabis and
Volatile Substances.
According to the opium yield
survey jointly conducted by Myanmar and the US, the yield of opium in Myanmar
has been dropping considerably since 1997. Opium cultivation in 1999 declined to
31%; opium yield to 38%. It was the lowest decline after 1988. It is expected
that opium yield this year would be less than that of the previous year due to
destruction of 21,242 acres of opium under the arrangement of the respective
commands in 2001 and establishment of opium free zones by national armed groups,
bad weather, scarcity of rain and insects. According to Base Line Data conducted
as a nationwide movement in 1998, opium yield fell down yearly. The prices of
raw opium and heroin went up two or three times than those of the previous
years.
Drug
trafficking is generally undertaken in China-Myanmar and Thai-Myanmar far-flung
border areas where transport is inaccessible. Especially in Thai-Myanmar border
areas, Kuominton group, Kyauksit Su Laing group from remnant MTA, Maha San group
of WNA group, SURA Ywitsit group and KNPP group continue to do drug business
with terrorist acts. A large amount of precursor chemicals including Ephedrine
which is needed for production of ATS and Acetic Anhydride for heroin refinery
are produced in India and China for use in industry. They are imported from
Thailand. Precursor chemicals an controlled chemicals from other industrialized
nations came to border areas illegally. Before 1996, Acetic Anhydride came to
Myanmar via neighbouring countries and Ephedrine, ATS producing equipment and
Caffeine also came from Thailand.
The government has placed
emphasis on development of border areas and reconsolidation of national
solidarity. Seventeen armed groups, giving up their armed struggle returned to
the legal fold. The government undertook anti-drug measures with their
participation. From September 1988 to March 2001, 31,014 kilos of opium, 4,548
kilos of heroin, 34,634 litres of Phensedyl, 312,602 litres of acids and
chemicals, 17, 630 kilos of Ephedrine and 82,586,607 tablets of Methamphelamine
were seized and 128 opium refineries and 111,645 acres of opium were destroyed.
The seized narcotic drugs were destroyed in Yangon for the 14 times and in
border areas for 20 times.
From 23 October 2000 to 19 March
2001, the Tatmadaw columns cleared Haymoelon region in northern Shan State and
exposed five opium refineries and two ATS laboratories and seized 1,729,500
tablets of ATS, 433 kilos of Ephedrine, 33 kilos of Phenyl Acetic Acid, 265.5
kilos of opium, 46.171 litres of acid and 19,726 of chemicals, ATS producing
equipment and other related precursors. Acting on tip-off, the Tatmadaw columns
cleared the west region of Tawnay Village in Lashio Township and exposed eight
refineries and seized 7,168 litres of alcohol, 690 litres of hydrochloric acid,
9.8 litres of Acetic Anhydride, 204 litres of loizaw, 400 kilos of Ammonium
chloride, 400 kilos of bone charcoal, 75 flasks and others.
At a time when Myanmar can
control successfully drug problem related to opium, it faces with ATS problem.
ATS problem started during the past decades. It was a major problem for
neighbouring India and Thailand. Myanmar began to face it after 1996. During
this year in Yangon, 61,400 stimulant tablets were seized— 24,000 stimulant
tablets in South Okkalapa Township on 19 January and 37,400 stimulant tablets in
Mingaladon Township on 9 March. Chemicals, equipment, electricity and skill are
needed to produce stimulant tablets. The above-mentioned paraphernalia are
illegally brought to the country in various ways and means from neighbouring
countries. Regarding the ATS, Myanmar promoted her cooperation with neighbouring
countries and those in Sub-region. Myanmar has laid down the plans to prevent
spread of ATS in the country and is implementing them.
A total of 15,607 kilos of
Ephedrine, 5,022 kilos of Caffeine and 28.571 millions of ATS tablets were
seized— 5.916 million of ATS tablets in 1996, 2,420 kilos of Ephedrine and
5.028 million of ATS tablets in 1997, 3,819 kilos of Ephedrine and 16.026
million of ATS tablets in 1998, 7,052 kilos of Ephedrine and 28.753 million of
ATS tablets in 1999, 2,316 kilos of Ephedrine, 2,022 kilos of Caffeine and
22.643 million of ATS tablets in 2000, 3,000 kilos of Caffeine and 4.205 million
of ATS tablets in 2001 and three laboratories were exposed in 2000.
The
world today is facing with the threatening of Transnational Organized Crime
Groups. The groups involve transnational crimes and drugs and became rich. They
get millions of US dollars yearly. Out of transnational crimes, the common
problem in Asia and the Pacific region is illicit trafficking of narcotic drugs
and psychotrophic substances. In order to control the drug problem, it is
necessary to take measures for the nation-wise control part through balance
approach, to promote cooperation at basic level, to lay down plans for
eradication of narcotic drugs and to undertake measures for substitute crops and
earning substitute income. Opium and marijuana can be used as narcotic drugs.
But they are produced with the combination of chemicals for efficacy. Therefore
no precursors no drugs. It is also necessary to take measures for control of
chemicals and cultivation of narcotic plants.
The government’s efforts on
drug control were presented with the aid of projector.Officials replied to the
queries raised by newsmen.Those present at the press conference viewed
documentary photos and maps on drug control.
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245 drug-related cases
exposed in Feb
Y
angon, 6 April – The Tatmadaw,
the Myanmar Police Force and the Customs Department could exposed 245
drug-related cases in February. The authorities seized 53.973 kilos of opium in
42 cases, 1.4579 kilos of heroin in 82 cases, 1.3217 kilos of opium oil in two
cases, 12.4976 kilos of low-grade opium in 15 cases, 15.4756 kilos of marijuana
in 15 cases, 71,806 stimulant tablets in 46 cases, 0.0003 kilo of stimulant
powder, 7.5075 liters of cough syrup in two cases, document related to 1 kilo of
opium paper in one case, 2,850.052 liters of chemical liquid in two cases,
4,458.029 kilos of chemical powder, 29 cases for failure to register and nine
other cases. Action is taken against 341 persons- 264 men and 77 women- in 245
cases in February 2001.
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Stimulant tablet
traffickers sentenced
Y
angon, 6 April – A
combined team comprising members of the local intelligence unit, the local
battalion and Myitkyina Special Anti-Drug Squad, acting on information, searched
the house of Lyo Yin Myint in Hmawshan Village, Seikmu Village-tract, Phakant
Township, at 4.30 am on 28 April, 2000. The authorities seized 46,600 pink
colour WY brand stimulant tablets in a plastic bag in his bedroom. Phakant
Police Station filed Lyo Yin Myint, 47, son of U Lyo Mu Son of Kyukok (Pangsai),
Sai Kham Aik, 34, son of U Yi Hlaing, Sai Win Maung, 27, son of U Law Phon of
Nankham Township, Labya Naw Toung, 29, son of U Labya Tu of Kachinsu Ward, Bhamo
and Maung Maung Aung, 26, son of U Aik Kham of ward 5 in Lashio under Sections
15/ 19 (A)/ 20 (A)/ 21 of Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Law. On 26
March 2001, Myitkyina District Court sentenced Lyo Yin Myint to 30 years’
imprisonment under Section 19 (A), Sai Kham Aik, Sai Win Maung and Labya Naw
Toung to 5 years’ each Section 15 (A) and 30 years’ each under Sections 19 (A)/
21 to serve separately and Maung Maung Aung to 30 years’ under Sections 19(A)/
21.
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Drug
abusers sentenced
Y
angon,
4 April – Members of the local intelligence unit and local Myanmar Police Force,
acting on information, found 42 marijuana plants weighing 146.97 grams near Kyaw
Hlaing’s hut at Moksoema ridge on the west of Bago Yoma in Phyu Township on 27
November 2000. Action was taken against Kyaw Hlaing, 32, of Khintangyi Village
in Phyu Township and U Shwe Phe, 70, of Ophogon Village in Phyu Township in
accord with Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Law. The Phyu Township
Court handed down five years’ imprisonment under Section 15 and seven yearsÕ
imprisonment under section 16 (A) on Kyaw Hlaing to serve separately and four
years’ imprisonment under Section 15 on U Shwe Phe on 12 March.
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