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Bangkok Post
7 hours ago
- Politics
- Bangkok Post
Cybercrime moves up the agenda
There has been no shortage of commentators ready to hail the decision of former Cambodian prime minister Hun Sen to leak his recent conversation with Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra as a diplomatic "masterstroke". The leak has called into question the survival of the Thai coalition government, with the Bhumjaithai Party having already withdrawn from the coalition. Many in Thailand are horrified by the deferential tone adopted by the young prime minister when speaking with Hun Sen and are demanding Ms Paetongtarn step down. According to the idea of the "masterstroke", Hun Sen has weakened a troublesome foreign government. Cambodians, so the argument goes, will now be willing to rally behind him in his defence of Cambodian interests. In fact, regardless of Ms Paetongtarn's political fate, Hun Sen's move could backfire. Destabilising the government of Thailand, which has historically been the major US ally in the region, is not a move likely to divert US attention away from cybercrime in Southeast Asia. More broadly, destabilisation of other governments is not part of Hun Sen's playbook. He has moved into uncharted territory with the leak. For decades, Hun Sen has sought to present himself as standing for internal stability. He has been a devout adherent of the Asean principle of non-interference in the affairs of other member states. But cybercrime in the region is inherently an international problem, and can't be dealt with using such an approach. Internal Cambodian crackdowns have failed to produce convincing results. A series of high-profile compound raids were focused on Sihanoukville in 2022. According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the raids simply resulted in the compounds being moved to more remote Cambodian locations. The deterioration of the relationship between Thailand and Cambodia this year, and the border clashes which have resulted, should be seen in the context of Thailand's need to ensure that organised cyber-scam activity in the region is minimised or eliminated. The issue was identified by the prime minister when she took office in August 2024. Tourism in Thailand has yet to recover to its pre-Covid level. Chinese tourists in particular have been staying away in the knowledge that Thailand is often a transit destination for people being trafficked into cyber-slavery in Cambodia or Myanmar. The case of the well-known Chinese actor, Wang Xing, who flew to Bangkok in January for what he thought was an acting job, was a key trigger for increased Chinese public awareness. Wang Xing ended up trapped in a cyber-scam compound in Myawaddy in Myanmar. Though he was soon released, the publicity in China led to a rush to cancel planned trips to Thailand. The Thai Monetary Policy Committee said in May that safety concerns among Chinese tourists were the main reason for lower tourist arrivals. Thailand, as Southeast Asia's largest tourist destination, cannot go on like this. Something has to change. Ms Paetongtarn's best hope of survival now lies in adopting a hardline approach to the problem of cybercrime in the region. She has responded to the leak by committing herself to destroying the gangs that run the cyber-scam compounds. Any new Thai government will be under pressure to adopt a stance that is at least as tough. A meaningful crackdown on the scammers is impossible without addressing the issue of Cambodian government complicity. The Cambodian government denies that it allows cyber-scam compounds to operate. Still, Ly Yong Phat, a member of the ruling Cambodian People's Party central committee, was sanctioned by the US Department of the Treasury in 2024 over the issue. Prime Minister Hun Manet's cousin, Hun To, is a director of Huione Pay, targeted by the US for its alleged role in laundering cyber-scam receipts. The globalisation of the cyber-scam issue means Ms Paetongtarn can hope to rally significant international support for a crackdown. Gone are the days when the cyber-scam compounds ran solely on the forced labour of the Chinese victims of human trafficking. The compounds now seek to recruit young job seekers who speak English, from whatever country they can be found. The financial victims of the increasingly sophisticated scams are global. Billions of dollars are being stolen each year, with an estimated 150,000 people trapped in Cambodian compounds. Despite the scale of the organised crime, non-Chinese international awareness of the issue, until now, has remained limited. Hun Sen has released the genie of the cyber-scam issue out of the bottle and into the international political arena. There's no way to put it back. No one has an incentive to cover up organised cybercrime, except the perpetrators and facilitators. Ms Paetongtarn's days as prime minister may be numbered, but Hun Sen may have set in motion a train of events that will weaken his own family regime. David Whitehouse is a freelance journalist in Paris. He is author of 'In Search of Rwanda's Génocidaires: French Justice and the Lost Decades'. He is a co-writer of 'We Didn't Start the Fire: My Struggle for Democracy in Cambodia', an autobiography of Cambodian opposition leader Sam Rainsy.
New York Times
9 hours ago
- New York Times
Cocaine Is the Fastest-Growing Illegal Drug Worldwide. Here's Why.
More people around the world are using illicit drugs than ever — more than 316 million in 2023. Marijuana is the most used drug, followed by opioids and amphetamines. But it is the cocaine market that continues to break records year after year. Global production reached a new high in 2023, racing to meet record demand and fueling new highs in cocaine-related deaths in many countries in recent years, according to a United Nations report released on Thursday. An estimated 25 million people used cocaine worldwide in 2023 — up from 17 million a decade earlier. Production jumped by 34 percent from 2022. Tracking the production and consumption of illicit drugs, including cocaine, is complex and time-consuming. The U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime's annual World Drug Report, which this year includes data through 2023, is one of the few sources of global data on the illegal drug trade. Here's what it shows about the worldwide cocaine market. Where does cocaine come from? The coca plant, the main ingredient for cocaine, is primarily cultivated in Colombia, Peru and Bolivia. Colombia drove the recent increase in illegal cocaine production because of an expansion of coca cultivation areas and better yields from each acre. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Observer
12 hours ago
- Health
- Observer
UN report: Global drug users rise to 316m, cocaine market grows
The number of drug users worldwide rose to 316 million people in 2023, according to a UN report published on Thursday. The number corresponds to 6% of the world population aged between 15 and 64 using a drug - not including tobacco or alcohol - the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in Vienna said in its 2025 World Drug Report, which is based on 2023 data. In 2013, 5.2% of the world population had consumed a drug. Cannabis remained the most consumed drug with 244 million users,followed by opioids (61 million), amphetamines (30.7 million),cocaine (25 million) and ecstasy (21 million), according to the report. "This edition of the World Drug Report shows that organized drug trafficking groups continue to adapt, exploit global crises, and target vulnerable populations," said UNODC executive director Ghada Waly. "We must invest in prevention and address the root causes of the drug trade at every point of the illicit supply chain. And we must strengthen responses, by leveraging technology, strengthening cross-border cooperation, providing alternative livelihoods, and taking judicial action that targets key actors driving these networks." Among all drugs, the market for cocaine is growing the fastest, the annual report found. Illegal cocaine production rose by more than a third year-on-year toa record 3,708 tons in 2023. The number of consumers rose from 17million to 25 million between 2013 and 2023. According to the UN experts, the cocaine boom is not only leading tomore drug-related deaths, but also to more violence between rivalcriminal organizations involved in drug smuggling. This can also be observed in Western and Central Europe, they these two regions, more cocaine has been seized than in North America for several years now.
The Advertiser
20 hours ago
- The Advertiser
Aust, NZ world's biggest cocaine, ecstasy users: UN
Australia and New Zealand have the highest per capita cocaine and ecstasy use in the world, according to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) World Drug Report 2025. Three per cent of people between the ages of 15-64 in the countries grouped under the Oceania region used cocaine in 2023, almost double that of the Americas (1.6 per cent) and slightly less than triple that of Europe (1.1 per cent), according to the data published on Thursday. However, wastewater analysis cited in the report showed that consumption is "clearly lower" than other parts of the world, suggesting most users in the two countries use the drug occasionally, rather than regularly. "Past-year use of 'ecstasy' in the subregion ... remains by far the highest worldwide; this is consistent with 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) levels found in wastewater analysis," it added. In addition, it said cannabis use in the two countries is "still significantly higher than the global average", and prevalence among school students aged 15 and 16 is also relatively high in Oceania, at 13 per cent, compared with the global average of 4.4 per cent The report highlights that global cocaine production reached 3700 tons of pure cocaine in 2023, a 34 per cent increase on the previous year, and that drug trafficking routes have increasingly diversified to Africa, Asia and Australia, and are no longer limited to its main markets, Europe and North America. "The Pacific islands are increasingly targeted as transit points for cocaine and methamphetamine primarily destined for Australia and New Zealand," the report notes. Seizures of cocaine also reached "record levels" in the two countries, where drug trafficking groups are attracted by the greater purchasing power of its citizens and the high price of the drug. Furthermore, drug traffickers take advantage of the thousands of kilometres of coastline of these two large island nations due to the difficulty of policing such a vast area. In December 2024, Australian police seized 2.34 tons of cocaine (with a blackmarket value of nearly $A760 million) in one of the country's largest anti-drug operations. Australia and New Zealand have the highest per capita cocaine and ecstasy use in the world, according to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) World Drug Report 2025. Three per cent of people between the ages of 15-64 in the countries grouped under the Oceania region used cocaine in 2023, almost double that of the Americas (1.6 per cent) and slightly less than triple that of Europe (1.1 per cent), according to the data published on Thursday. However, wastewater analysis cited in the report showed that consumption is "clearly lower" than other parts of the world, suggesting most users in the two countries use the drug occasionally, rather than regularly. "Past-year use of 'ecstasy' in the subregion ... remains by far the highest worldwide; this is consistent with 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) levels found in wastewater analysis," it added. In addition, it said cannabis use in the two countries is "still significantly higher than the global average", and prevalence among school students aged 15 and 16 is also relatively high in Oceania, at 13 per cent, compared with the global average of 4.4 per cent The report highlights that global cocaine production reached 3700 tons of pure cocaine in 2023, a 34 per cent increase on the previous year, and that drug trafficking routes have increasingly diversified to Africa, Asia and Australia, and are no longer limited to its main markets, Europe and North America. "The Pacific islands are increasingly targeted as transit points for cocaine and methamphetamine primarily destined for Australia and New Zealand," the report notes. Seizures of cocaine also reached "record levels" in the two countries, where drug trafficking groups are attracted by the greater purchasing power of its citizens and the high price of the drug. Furthermore, drug traffickers take advantage of the thousands of kilometres of coastline of these two large island nations due to the difficulty of policing such a vast area. In December 2024, Australian police seized 2.34 tons of cocaine (with a blackmarket value of nearly $A760 million) in one of the country's largest anti-drug operations. Australia and New Zealand have the highest per capita cocaine and ecstasy use in the world, according to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) World Drug Report 2025. Three per cent of people between the ages of 15-64 in the countries grouped under the Oceania region used cocaine in 2023, almost double that of the Americas (1.6 per cent) and slightly less than triple that of Europe (1.1 per cent), according to the data published on Thursday. However, wastewater analysis cited in the report showed that consumption is "clearly lower" than other parts of the world, suggesting most users in the two countries use the drug occasionally, rather than regularly. "Past-year use of 'ecstasy' in the subregion ... remains by far the highest worldwide; this is consistent with 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) levels found in wastewater analysis," it added. In addition, it said cannabis use in the two countries is "still significantly higher than the global average", and prevalence among school students aged 15 and 16 is also relatively high in Oceania, at 13 per cent, compared with the global average of 4.4 per cent The report highlights that global cocaine production reached 3700 tons of pure cocaine in 2023, a 34 per cent increase on the previous year, and that drug trafficking routes have increasingly diversified to Africa, Asia and Australia, and are no longer limited to its main markets, Europe and North America. "The Pacific islands are increasingly targeted as transit points for cocaine and methamphetamine primarily destined for Australia and New Zealand," the report notes. Seizures of cocaine also reached "record levels" in the two countries, where drug trafficking groups are attracted by the greater purchasing power of its citizens and the high price of the drug. Furthermore, drug traffickers take advantage of the thousands of kilometres of coastline of these two large island nations due to the difficulty of policing such a vast area. In December 2024, Australian police seized 2.34 tons of cocaine (with a blackmarket value of nearly $A760 million) in one of the country's largest anti-drug operations. Australia and New Zealand have the highest per capita cocaine and ecstasy use in the world, according to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) World Drug Report 2025. Three per cent of people between the ages of 15-64 in the countries grouped under the Oceania region used cocaine in 2023, almost double that of the Americas (1.6 per cent) and slightly less than triple that of Europe (1.1 per cent), according to the data published on Thursday. However, wastewater analysis cited in the report showed that consumption is "clearly lower" than other parts of the world, suggesting most users in the two countries use the drug occasionally, rather than regularly. "Past-year use of 'ecstasy' in the subregion ... remains by far the highest worldwide; this is consistent with 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) levels found in wastewater analysis," it added. In addition, it said cannabis use in the two countries is "still significantly higher than the global average", and prevalence among school students aged 15 and 16 is also relatively high in Oceania, at 13 per cent, compared with the global average of 4.4 per cent The report highlights that global cocaine production reached 3700 tons of pure cocaine in 2023, a 34 per cent increase on the previous year, and that drug trafficking routes have increasingly diversified to Africa, Asia and Australia, and are no longer limited to its main markets, Europe and North America. "The Pacific islands are increasingly targeted as transit points for cocaine and methamphetamine primarily destined for Australia and New Zealand," the report notes. Seizures of cocaine also reached "record levels" in the two countries, where drug trafficking groups are attracted by the greater purchasing power of its citizens and the high price of the drug. Furthermore, drug traffickers take advantage of the thousands of kilometres of coastline of these two large island nations due to the difficulty of policing such a vast area. In December 2024, Australian police seized 2.34 tons of cocaine (with a blackmarket value of nearly $A760 million) in one of the country's largest anti-drug operations.
Barnama
a day ago
- Politics
- Barnama
Myanmar Battles To Replace Poppy Cultivation With Cash Crops
Poppy cultivation is still prevalent in the mountainous region of Myanmar. (Photo credit: UNODC website.) caption: Farmers opt for poppy cultivation instead of other cash crops as they fetch lucrative prices. (Photo credit: UNODC website) By Vijian Paramasivam PHNOM PENH, June 27 (Bernama) -- The ongoing armed conflict is hindering Myanmar's efforts to eliminate poppy cultivation and combat drug trafficking, posing a threat to national security. The prevailing political instability, due to conflict between the military and armed militias, and rising economic hardships, are pushing farmers in remote mountainous regions to cultivate poppies. bootstrap slideshow 'Growing poppy and heroin production were a major issue for Myanmar in the past. Currently, the country has been facing challenges of synthetic drug production, trafficking and trading similar to other countries across the world. 'On the other hand, the number of sown acres of poppies rises again in the areas controlled by ethnic armed groups,' said Home Affairs Minister Lt-Gen Tun Tun Naung, reported the state media, The Global New Light of Myanmar. Myanmar is working to introduce alternative crops, such as coffee and tea, along with livestock projects, to replace poppy cultivation among farmers. During the 2024-25 poppy cultivation season, security forces destroyed nearly 1,900 hectares (4,734.5 acres) of poppy plantations. In conjunction with the 2025 International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking on Thursday, Myanmar authorities destroyed 66 kinds of drugs and precursor chemicals, including heroin, opium, methamphetamine, cannabis and ketamine worth RM1.3 billion (US$297 million) in Yangon, Mandalay, Taunggyi and Sagaing, said the state media. In a lengthy article published in the state media on Thursday, the occasion of the global anti-drug campaign, Tun Tun Naung revealed the monumental task his government faces in eradicating the social scourge.
