255 drug cases
exposed in April
YANGON,
30 May – The Tatmadaw, the Myanmar Police Force and the Customs Department
exposed 255 drug-related cases in April 2003.
Seizures made by them were
476.5879 kilos of opium in 39 cases, 141.5889 kilos of heroin in 102 cases, 68.6
kilos of morphine, 0.3069 kilo of opium oil in two cases, 52.4632 kilos of
low-grade opium in 18 cases, 8.077 kilos of marijuana in 19 cases, 1.4 litres of
Phen-sedyl in one case, 44,359 stimulant tablets in 38 cases, 0.03 kilo of
stimulant powder in one case, 102 kilos of Metaphetamine in one case, 22 tablets
of diazepam in two cases, 10.61 kilos of Phenyl acetic acid, 54.6 litres of
acetic anhydride, 8,960.76 litres of chemical liquid in three cases, 35.1 kilos
of chemical powder, 20 cases for failure to register and other nine cases.
Action is taken against 376 persons- 300 men and 76 women- in 255 drug-related
cases.
Commander
visits poster contest to mark International Day of Drug Abuse and Illicit
Trafficking
Yangon,
26 May – The Yangon Division level cartoon, painting and poster competition to
mark the International Day of Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking for 2003,
organized by Yangon Division Drug Abuse Control Committee, was held at Drug
Elimination Museum at the corner of Kyundaw and Hanthawady Streets in Kamayut
Township this morning, attended by Chairman of Yangon Division DACC Chairman of
Yangon Division Peace and Development Council Commander of Yangon Command Maj-Gen
Myint Swe.
At 9.00 am, the commander and
party viewed 104 competitors participating in the poster contest which was
divided into four classes- the under-10 class, the 10-15 class, the 15-20 class
and the above-20 class- at Drug Elimination Museum at 9.00 am.
Myanmar
fighting against poppy cultivation remained as evil legacy of colonialists
Seized poppy seeds and narcotic drugs destroyed
Yangon,
16 May – The poppy seeds and narcotic drugs seized in Rakhine State were
destroyed at the ceremony held at the Wethali Grounds in Sittway on 13 May
morning.
Western Command Maj-Gen Maung Oo, delivered a speech on the occasion, saying
that nowadays the danger of narcotic drugs is threatening the entire mankind of
the world, adding that in successive eras, Myanmar has been fighting against
poppy cultivation remained as an evil legacy of the colonialists. The government
upholding Our Three Main National Causes is making efforts with might and main
for national reconsolidation and is laying down projects and has been
implementing them for ensuring all-round development of the nation including
border areas. In the process, endeavours are being made for eradication of
narcotic drugs in far-flung areas where poppy is cultivated and now projects are
being materialized for cultivation of poppy-substitute crops and tasks are being
carried out for regional development. Strategy and tactics on drugs elimination
have been implemented. The New Destiny Project, part of the 15-year drug
elimination project, has been implemented since 2002. There is no poppy
cultivation in Rakhine State, but poppy seeds to be smuggled to the neighbouring
nation and narcotic drugs to be smuggled from the neighbouring nation via
Rakhine State were seized in 2002. They have been destroyed and it contributes
towards reduction of sown acreage of poppy as well as drugs abuse. In
conclusion, the commander stressed the need for the entire people to make
all-out efforts in unison for ensuring drugs eradication.
Then, the commander and
distinguished guests viewed the poppy seeds and narcotic drugs to be destroyed.
Afterwards, the commander pressed the button to incinerate the narcotic drugs,
and members of USDA, WCWA, MCWA, Red Cross Society and Auxiliary Fire Brigade
set fire to the narcotic drugs.
At the ceremony, altogether 9.059
metric tones of poppy seeds, 177 bottles of morphine, 458 bottles of 48.54
litres of Phensedyl and 0.9422 kilo of marijuana were destroyed and that
intervention enabled the prevention of 5,550 acres from illicit cultivation that
could produce 24.42 tonnes of opium.
Informal
meeting on Myanmar-Thai transnational drug control cooperation held
Yangon,
15 May – Informal meeting on Myanmar-Thai tran-snational drug control
cooperation was held at the Regina Hotel in Tachilek, Shan State (East) on 13
May morning.
A 12-member Myan-mar delegation
com-prising Head of Department Brig-Gen Kyaw Thein of the Office of the Chief of
Military Intelligence of the Ministry of Defence and Joint-Secretary of the
Central Committee for Drug Abuse Control Police Col Kham Aung led by Secretary
of the Central Committee for Drug Abuse Control Director-General of Myanmar
Police Force Brig-Gen Khin Yi and a 18-member delegation of Thailand led by
Commissioner Police Lt-Gen Chalermdej Cho-mpunuch of Narcotic Suppression Bureau
and Deputy Secretary General Mr Charthchai Suthiklom of ONCB attended the
meeting. They cordially discussed matters relating to transnational drug crime
along the border, cooperation in exchange of information and future drug control
measures based on current situation.
Also present at the meeting were
Mr John Wallen of Yangon-based DEA, Liaison Officer Mr Mark Scott of Australian
Federal Police and Mr William J Snipes and Mr Rick Gommert of Thailand-based DEA.