Synthetic Drugs in East and Southeast Asia Latest developments and challenges May 2020 Global SMART Programme Copyright © 2020, United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). This publication may be reproduced in whole or in part and in any form for educational or non-profit purposes without special permission from the copyright holder, provided acknowledgement of the source is made. UNODC would appreciate receiving a copy of any publication that uses this publication as a source. Acknowledgements This report was prepared by the Global Synthetic Monitoring: Analyses, Reporting and Trends (SMART) Programme, Laboratory and Scientific Section with the support of the UNODC Regional Office for Southeast Asia and the Pacific. Supervision, direction and review Justice Tettey, Chief, Laboratory and Scientific Section Jeremy Douglas, Regional Representative, Southeast Asia and the Pacific Research and drafting Martin Raithelhuber, Illicit Synthetic Drugs Expert Tun Nay Soe, Inter-regional Programme Coordinator Inshik Sim, Drug Programme Analyst, Southeast Asia and the Pacific Joey Yang Yi Tan, Junior Professional Officer in Drug Research Graphic design and layout Akara Umapornsakula, Graphic Designer Administrative support Jatupat Buasipreeda, Programme Assistant The present report also benefited from the expertise and valuable contributions of UNODC colleagues in the Laboratory and Scientific Section and the Regional Office for Southeast Asia and the Pacific, including Tsegahiwot Abebe Belachew, Rebecca Miller, Reiner Pungs, and John Wojcik. Disclaimer This report has not been formally edited. The designations employed and the presentation of the material in this publication do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of UNODC or the Secretariat of the United Nations concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. The term “region” unless specified, generally refers to the geographical area that includes the countries and territories in East and Southeast Asia. The term “lower Mekong region” refers to the geographical area that includes five countries, Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Thailand and Viet Nam. The term “maritime Southeast Asian countries” includes Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, and Timor Leste. Reference to dollars ($) are to United States dollars, unless otherwise stated. Reference to tons are to metric tons, unless otherwise stated. Table of contents Abbreviations .........................................................................................................................................i List of Figures, Tables and Maps ............................................................................................................iii Executive Summary ........................................................................................................................... xiii Introduction .........................................................................................................................................1 Regional Trends: East and Southeast Asia .............................................................................................5 Overview of the methamphetamine market ............................................................................................5 Overview of the ecstasy market .............................................................................................................21 Overview of the new psychoactive substances market...........................................................................24 National Trends .................................................................................................................................29 Brunei Darussalam .................................................................................................................................31 Cambodia ..............................................................................................................................................35 China ......................................................................................................................................................39 Indonesia ...............................................................................................................................................47 Japan.......................................................................................................................................................53 Lao PDR .................................................................................................................................................57 Malaysia ................................................................................................................................................61 Myanmar ...............................................................................................................................................67 Philippines .............................................................................................................................................71 Republic of Korea.....................................................................................................................................75 Singapore ...............................................................................................................................................81 Thailand ..................................................................................................................................................85 Viet Nam ................................................................................................................................................89 Abbreviations ARQ Annual report questionnaire AFP Amphetamine-type stimulants APAA alpha-phenylacetoacetamide (2-phenylacetoacetamide) APAAN alpha-phenylacetoacetonitrile ATS Amphetamine-type stimulants BNN National Narcotics Board (Indonesia) CCDAC Central Committee for Drug Abuse Control (Myanmar) CNB Central Narcotics Bureau (Singapore) DAINAP Drug Abuse Information Network for Asia and the Pacific DDB Dangerous Drugs Board (Philippines) EWA UNODC Early Warning Advisory on New Psychoactive Substances GBL gamma-butyrolactone GHB gamma-hydroxybutyric acid HONLEA Heads of National Drug Law Enforcement Agencies (Asia and the Pacific) INCB International Narcotics Control Board KCS Korean Customs Service LCDC Lao National Commission for Drug Control and Supervision MAPA methyl alpha-phenylacetoacetate (methyl 3-oxo-2-phenylbutanoate) MDMA 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine MHLW Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (Japan) NACD National Authority for Combating Drugs (Cambodia) NADA National Anti-Drugs Agency (Malaysia) NCB Narcotics Control Bureau (Brunei Darussalam) NDSB Narcotics Division, Security Bureau (Hong Kong, China) NNCC National Narcotics Control Commission (China) NPA National Police Agency (Japan) NPS New Psychoactive Substances ONCB Office of the Narcotics Control Board (Thailand) P-2-P 1-phenyl-2-propanone PDEA Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency RMP Royal Malaysian Police SMART Synthetics Monitoring: Analyses, Reporting and Trends SODC Standing Office on Drugs and Crime (Viet Nam) SPO Supreme Prosecutors’ Office (Republic of Korea) UNODC United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime i ii List of Figures, Tables and Maps Figures Executive Summary Figure 1. Seizures of methamphetamine in East and Southeast Asia, 2011-2019* Figure 2. Changes in typical prices of methamphetamine tablets of selected countries in Southeast Asia, 2011, 2015 and 2019 Figure 3. Emergence of NPS with opioid effects in East and Southeast Asia, 2014-2019* Regional overview Figure 1. Number of methamphetamine manufacturing facilities dismantled in Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines, 2014-2019 Figure 2. Seizures of methamphetamine in East and Southeast Asia, 2011-2019* Figure 3. Changes in methamphetamine tablet and crystalline methamphetamine seizures in Southeast Asia, 2014-2019* Figure 4. Seizures of methamphetamine tablets in Bangladesh, 2014-2019 Figure 5. Retail prices of crystalline methamphetamine per 1 gram among selected countries in East and Southeast Asia, Australia and New Zealand for 2019 or latest year available Figure 6. Number of cases and seizures of ATS in India, 2017-2019* Figure 7. Seizures of methamphetamine in Lao PDR and Viet Nam, 2018 and 2019 Figure 8. Number of drug-related offences in Fiji Figure 9. Seizures of ephedrine, pseudoephedrine, and P-2-P in Myanmar, 2015-2019 Figure 10. Crystalline methamphetamine forensic profiles reported from China, Indonesia, the Philippines and Thailand, 2017-2019* Figure 11. Major factors influencing prices of methamphetamine in East and Southeast Asia Figure 12. Changes in typical retail prices of crystalline methamphetamine of selected countries in East and Southeast Asia, 2011, 2015 and 2019 or latest year available Figure 13. Changes in typical retail prices of crystalline methamphetamine of Australia, New Zealand and the Republic of Korea, 2011, 2015 and 2019 or latest year available Figure 14. Changes in typical prices of methamphetamine tablets of selected countries in Southeast Asia, 2011, 2015 and 2019 Figure 15. Proportion of monthly minimum wage needed to purchase one methamphetamine tablet in Cambodia, Lao PDR, and Thailand, 2011 and 2019 Figure 16. Number of MDMA manufacturing facilities dismantled in Cambodia,