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NEWS - Myanmar arrests nearly 600
- Subject: NEWS - Myanmar arrests nearly 600
- From: Rangoonp@xxxxxxx
- Date: Thu, 26 Aug 1999 01:36:00
Subject: NEWS - Myanmar arrests nearly 600 people in anti-drug sweep
Myanmar-drugs
Myanmar arrests nearly 600 people in anti-drug sweep
BANGKOK, Aug 25 (AFP) - Myanmar authorities have arrested nearly 600
people
and seized large amounts of heroin and amphetamine tablets in a recent
anti-drugs operation, state television reported Wednesday.
The seizures were made by police, soldiers and customs officials in
July,
TV Myanmar said in a broadcast monitored here.
A total of 577 suspects including 94 women were charged with
drugs-related
offenses, it said.
14.62 kilogrammes (32.12 pounds) of heroin was seized along with
2,073,759
amphetamine tablets as part of the nationwide anti-narcotics crackdown,
according to the report.
The officials also confiscated nearly 76 kilogrammes of raw opium and
5.24
kilogrammes of marijuana as well as large quantities of heroin-refining
chemicals and illegal medicine, the television added.
It also said more than 9,824.6 acres (3,970 hectares) of poppy fields
had
been destroyed in the country during the 1998-99 poppy-growing season.
Myanmar forms part of the infamous "Golden Triangle" poppy-growing
region
which includes parts of Thailand and Laos.
Western countries accuse Myanmar of being one of the world's leading
producers of heroin and of taking big profits from the drugs trade.
But Myanmar's military regime denies the charges.
smo/jd