INTERVIEW-N.Korean methamphetamines flood Philippines (local price of METH drops by a half)

Reuters ^ | 05/30/08 | Manny Mogato

[TigerLikesRooster]

INTERVIEW-N.Korean methamphetamines flood Philippines

30 May 2008 09:39:07 GMT

Source: Reuters

By Manny Mogato

MANILA, May 30 (Reuters) - High-grade methamphetamines from North Korea have started to flood the Philippines, reducing street prices of the drug by about 50 percent, the head of the country's drug enforcement agency said on Friday.

Dionisio Santiago, a retired general, told Reuters there was strong suspicion a huge shipment of methamphetamines seized at the former U.S. navy base of Subic north of Manila this week came from clandestine drugs laboratories in North Korea.

"We've been informed by our counterparts abroad that North Korea has become a steady source of methamphetamines in the Asia and Pacific region," Santiago, a former army chief, told Reuters in an interview.

The Philippines has long been a source of methamphetamines, enforcement officials say. Clandestine production centres make the drug for local consumption but it is also smuggled to Australia, Canada, Japan, South Korea and the United States.

The country itself had about 3.4 million regular and occasional drug users in 2007 , down from 6.7 million in 2004, according to government figures.

On Wednesday, more than 700 kg of high-grade crystal white methamphetamine worth nearly $100 million was seized in what is believed to be the country's biggest-ever drugs haul.

"Based on our initial investigation, the Vietnam-registered boat which unloaded the methamphetamines shipment had made port calls in North Korea," Santiago said.

He warned that the Philippines could become a transhipment point for illegal drugs from other countries.

"Our ports are becoming transhipment points for ecstasy, cocaine and shabu and what had happened in Subic this week should be a wake up call for our port authorities to work closely with us," he said.

The quality of narcotics available on the street was also improving and prices were falling, Santiago noted.

"In the last few months, we've noticed methamphetamine prices going down to as much as 3 million pesos ($68,000) per kilo from a high of 6-8 million pesos," he said.

"Those that were manufactured here were of yellowish and brown crystal form, but, lately we've been seeing higher-grade methamphetamines in crystal-clear white form."

TRANSHIPMENT POINT

In its 2007 annual report, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) said methamphetamines, locally known as "shabu", were the primary drug of choice in the country.

Drug use in the country cuts across all social and economic classes, enforcement officials said. A small number of wealthy people use ecstasy and cocaine but methamphetamine and marijuana are the most popular drugs, while homeless people use solvents.

Santiago said transnational drug syndicates operating in the Philippines could have resorted to importing high-grade finished products from abroad after the break up of clandestine production bases in the country.

Nine clandestine laboratories and 13 warehouses around the capital Manila last year were dismantled last year.

There were eight known international drug rings with links to criminal gangs in China and Taiwan, Santiago said. (Reporting by Manny Mogato; editing by Raju Gopalakrishnan and Valerie Lee)

[TigerLikesRooster]

Hmm.. N. Korea found a new market for METH. They must want to offset what they lost in Japan.

[TigerLikesRooster]

Ping!

[WarToad]

In this wild, crazy, topsy-turvey world, few things can always be counted on. North Korea however... yea. You can pretty much always count on them.

[TigerLikesRooster]

They are predictable and consistent. You may not know when they do or where they do certain things, but they always do.

However, there are people continuously baffled by N. Korea. They are imbeciles. Too many of them in D.C..

[CommerceComet]

What a novel concept: increase supply and the price drops. Maybe North Korea could flood the market with oil.

[weegee]

Why can’t Jeremiah Wright and other racist radicals that blame the US government for illicit drug manufacture and abuse in this country issue a statement condemning North Korea?

Seeing as how much personal liberty is controlled in North Korea, it is unlikely that this sort of thing goes on without their government knowing about it.

[nw_arizona_granny]

Thanks for the ping.

They will do anything to harm the non-communists.

[SevenofNine]

Come think of it if they ever do remake of Scarface they could get Chia Pet say hello to my little friends LOL!

[razorback-bert]

700 kg of high-grade crystal white methamphetamine

That will keep you awake for a couple of days.

Before you slip into unconsciousness
Id like to have another kiss
Another flashing chance at bliss
Another kiss, another kiss

The days are bright and filled with pain
Enclose me in your gentle rain
The time you ran was too insane
Well meet again, well meet again

Oh tell me where your freedom lies
The streets are fields that never die
Deliver me from reasons why
Youd rather cry, Id rather fly

The crystal ship is being filled
A thousand girls, a thousand thrills
A million ways to spend your time
When we get back, Ill drop a line

[AmericanInTokyo]

I would consider this "State Sponsored Terrorism".

It brings TERROR to the societies that are flooded with it.

The North Koreans have a national system of secret factories producing it 24/7, and then shipping it out on clandestine craft. This is all under the direct orders of Kim Jong il.

This, therefore is classic state sponsored terrorism.

Of course, we are going to take North Korea off the terror list because Chris Hill struck a great deal with them, and sealed George Bush's LEGACY as a peacemaker in the Asian region. /sarc

[TigerLikesRooster]

I hear that Chris "Kim Jong" Hill does not like Vershbow, U.S. Ambassador to S. Korea. He believes that Vershbow is "too conservative," and is pushing for a new nominee to the job(a woman named Stevens(?),) who said in her confirmation hearing, to the effect that she does not have to know about N. Korean human right because she is only an U.S. Ambassador to S. Korea, not N. Korea. She sounds like a typical Foggy Bottom product just like Chris Hill. That is probably why Chris pushed for her.

Any way, her confirmation languishes in the Senate, and I hope it stays that way.

[AmericanInTokyo]

Yep.

Here she is.

Kathleen Stephens

Being pushed by Bush, The State Department and other libs in D.C., opposed by CONSERVATIVE GOP US SENATORS.