ASIAN ILLICIT DRUGS ARE MANUFACTURED FROM LEGITIMATE PRECURSORS

The regions of south and southwest Asia are particularly vulnerable to drug
traffickers procuring precursor chemicals from legitimate sources and using
them for manufacture of illicit drugs, warns the United Nations Drugs
Control Programme (UNDCP) in its new report Chemical Control in the Fight
Against Illicit Drug Production, which was released on Sept 16.

The prolific opium producing "Golden Crescent" (Afghanistan and Pakistani
tribal areas) and the "Golden Triangle" (East Myanmar, North Laos, and
North Thailand) have to smuggle in precursor chemicals in order to
manufacture illicit drugs. These drugs include heroin--the most important
illicit drug chemically processed from opium in the region--and precursors
for synthetic drugs such as amphetamine, methamphetamine, methaqualone, and
LSD.

The UN Convention Against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and
Psychotropic Substances (1988) lists 22 precursor processing chemicals that
also have widespread uses in textile, chemical, and pharmaceutical
industries. India alone produces vast quantities of critical chemicals such
as acetic anhydride (used in heroin production), N-acetylanthranilic acid
(precursor of methaqualone), and ephidrine and pseudo-ephidrine (used in
methamphetamine).

Afghanistan is the largest producer of illicit opium and heroin in the
world. Together with Pakistan, it is the main source of supply of heroin to
western Europe and an important one for the USA. During 1996-97, illicit
opium production in Afghanistan increased by 25%, says the UNDCP report. D
C Jayasurya, regional coordinator of the Precursors Control Project of the
UNDCP, says this has happened largely in the Taliban controlled areas.

"Chemicals manufactured in the region have a worldwide illicit user
network", says the UNDCP report. Neither the issue of precursor regulation
nor the problems associated with diversion have been adequately addressed
by most countries in the region, it adds. "Control of such chemicals within
the region will have a significant impact on the global drug situation",
concludes Jayasurya.

Checked-by: Joel W. Johnson