EDITORIAL - Manufacturing center

Over half a century ago, Japan was Asia’s manufacturing center for amphetamine-type stimulants, according to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. Around the 1960s the operations moved to South Korea, Taiwan and Thailand, the UNODC reported.

Today, in its World Drug Report 2012, the UNODC has identified three Asian countries that have become the manufacturing centers for stimulants including “ecstasy” and shabu or methamphetamine hydrochloride. These are China, Myanmar and the Philippines.

What happened to the former manufacturing centers? They have not completely eradicated the drug problem, and they continue to grapple with crime families or organizations. But Japan, South Korea and Taiwan have invested in modernizing their law enforcement agencies, and have a continuing effort to rid the agencies of scalawags. They have also invested in improving the technological and human capability of other offices such as those handling customs and immigration to foil drug trafficking.

Thailand under Thaksin Shinawatra launched a brutal crackdown on drug traffickers. The problem – a serious one in a country that is one of the world’s top tourist destinations – has not been completely eradicated. But the bloody crackdown, criticized by human rights groups, broke up several drug rings and neutralized their coddlers in law enforcement agencies.

The illegal drug industry is big business, and drug dealers operate where they smell inefficiency and corruption in law enforcement. These are problems that the Philippines has in common with China and Myanmar. All three countries have some of the world’s toughest drug laws. China has shown that it applies the death penalty on drug traffickers including foreign couriers, in accordance with its laws. Yet huge profits from illegal drugs, particularly those that can be synthesized in small laboratories, push drug traffickers to take risks, especially when they enjoy the protection of crooked law enforcers.

Only a sustained and coordinated effort among several agencies can make a dent in the operations of drug dealers. The effort must include a continuing purge in law enforcement agencies. Police internal affairs units must be revitalized, with more powers and resources. This should be given priority by an administration that rose to power on an anti-corruption platform.