Myanmar

The ranking of the three leading drugs of use in Myanmar was the same in 2008 as the previous two years, with heroin ranked as the primary drug of choice, followed by opium and methamphetamine in pill form. Cannabis was ranked fourth in 2008, the same as the preceding year.

Unlike other drugs, only methamphetamine use has been reported increasing for the entire six year period from 2003-2008. Heroin use has been reported to be on a decreasing trend, while cannabis and opium have remained largely stable.

Arrest, seizure and price data

The number of drug related arrests reported in Myanmar in 2008 is shown in Table 87. The number of arrests increased to 3,359 in 2008 compared to 3,074 in 2007. More than 80% of arrests were related to heroin, methamphetamine pills and opium. Heroin accounted for 31% of arrests, a decrease from 36% in 2007. Arrests related to methamphetamine pills increased from 24% in 2007 to 28% in 2008, while 23% of arrests were related to opium in 2008 compared to 22% in 2007. In 2008, 20% of drug-related arrestees were female, the same proportion as the previous year.

ATS-related arrests have largely mirrored the trend for heroin between 2003 and 2007 and a similar number of arrests were made for each of the two drugs in 2008. However, in 2008 heroin-related arrests declined, while ATS-related arrests increased.

The quantity of methamphetamine pills seized in 2008 declined to 1.1 million pills compared to the 1.6 million the previous year. Both years showed a huge decline compared to the 19.1 million pills seized in 2006 . However, preliminary data suggest that seizures of methamphetamine pills are increasing in 2009 with over 4.5 million pills seized in the first two quarters. An estimated 2 million pills were seized in March in one case alone in Kengtung in Eastern Myanmar while on route to the border
town of Tachilek (CCDAC, 2009).

It is uncertain whether the political situation in Myanmar in 2009 as reflected in conflict between the government
 nd certain ethnic groups may serve as a catalyst for an increase in illicit trafficking. However, one indication that this may be the case is an increase in recent illicit drug seizures in Myanmar which is coinciding with increasing seizures in neighbouring countries.

Few ATS laboratories are ever reported dismantled, a number which has been declining since the peak of 10 in 2006. Ephedrine seizures have declined sharply since 2001, with the exception of 2006 in which 1,284 kg were seized. However, the number of cases involving ephedrine has increased from 4 in 2006 to 23 in 2008.