BANGKOK, Thailand – May 2020: On 15th May 2020, the UNODC SMART Programme launched its annual report on “Synthetic Drugs in East and Southeast Asia – Latest Developments and Challenges” in Bangkok, Thailand. The reports provides an overview of the latest trends in the region and considers the potential impact of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

The report finds that that the regional methamphetamine market continues to expand, with sustained increases in seizures, especially of crystalline methamphetamine, amidst falling prices. It states that seizures of methamphetamine precursor chemicals are not commensurate with drug seizure trends, signalling difficulties in coping with increasing diversion, trafficking and illicit manufacture of key precursor chemicals. There are also recent signs of a consolidation of methamphetamine manufacture in the lower Mekong region, as organised crime groups adapt trafficking routes in response to law enforcement operations. The report also finds increased purities and use of “ecstasy”, increased identifications of synthetic NPS with opioid effects and a higher availability of ketamine in the region.

While the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on illicit drug supply in the region might be limited, the repercussions on demand and ongoing drug prevention and treatment programmes could be huge. The report calls for active monitoring and careful interpretation of drug-related trends to understand how the regional drug market evolves in the wake of the pandemic.

For more information, please see:

UNODC, Synthetic Drugs in East and Southeast Asia – Latest developments and challenges (May 2020).

UNODC, UNODC report on East and Southeast Asia: continued growth in the supply of methamphetamine while synthetic opioids spread (May 2020).

UNODC, Research Brief: COVID-19 and the drug supply chain: from production and trafficking to use (May 2020).

UNODC, Global SMART Update Volume 23: An expanding synthetic drugs market – Implications for precursor control (March 2020).

UNODC, Global SMART Update Volume 22: The ATS market -10 years after the 2009 Plan of Action (October 2019).