Uncovering the Dark History of the Golden Triangle: The Story of Heroin

Old photos tell tales: politics…the story of heroin

A “secret” Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) document dated March 1973 was released to the public on April 19, 2000 (pursuant to a US law known as the Freedom of Information Act), describing the geological landscape i’ northwest of Thailand on the Thai-Myanmar border. It is a rich drug breeding ground.

golden triangle It is a remote, dense forest area. It is a connecting area between Thailand-Burma-Laos and has a long history of being an important drug producing region since the 1947s. Drug cartels produce drugs from opium. Weather permitting There is an armed guard.

Different types of drugs Spread to America, Europe, Australia, it is believed that the “Golden Triangle Area” is the biggest producer of hell drugs.
of the world

About 50 years ago, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) said there were an estimated 12 million drug users in Asia. The drug trade is estimated to be worth $15 billion.

Historical data recorded by US agencies Photos Contains valuable information analysis

During 1957, heroin was produced from opium. It is a threat to humanity. Smuggled and distributed in the Thailand-Laos-Myanmar-Vietnam border area Make huge amounts of money for everyone involved.

The author would like to translate/arrange (some parts) into Thai as follows:

….Golden Triangle It is a large area. Straddling parts of Burma, Thailand and Laos, it is the world center of opium production.

In 1973 the production is expected to be between 420 and 470 tonnes, with two thirds of the local production being used within producing countries.

Exports from the Golden Triangle destinations of Malaysia, Hong Kong, Singapore and Indonesia are the biggest markets.

Around 60 tonnes will reach Western European markets, while another 5 to 10 tonnes will go to Australia.

1973 About a third of the approximately 6 tons of heroin (equivalent to 60 tons of opium) used in the United States originates from the Golden Triangle.

In the middle of the 1970s, America was still faced with “Mexican opium” which flooded in. But intense suppression This makes drugs from the Golden Triangle “best sellers” to replace drugs from Mexico.

Heroin from the Golden Triangle to America Smuggled on international flights from Thailand and Singapore and sea transport through Malaysia and elsewhere. in the calm ocean

Traditionally, the drug trade has been largely in the hands of the Chinese. and people of Chinese descent usually originating from Yunnan Province The strongest of these Chinese factions was the Shan United Army (SUA), including ethnic Chinese militias expelled from western China fighting against Chinese communist forces.

SUA is a drug-trafficking organization that employs large numbers of Shan (Shan) as soldiers.

Contracts or protection payments are made systematically. The communist armed forces of Burma earn a handsome income from it “Protecting” the opium caravan to be transported through their controlled area International processing and logistics are also handled mainly by ethnic Chinese.

especially Medicines intended for foreign markets are often supported by Chinese businessmen. which connects with compatriots in Chinese communities around the world

Opium cultivation is the main source of income for many tribes high in the mountains of Burma, cut off from the outside world. This is because the government forces are unable to maintain effective control over all of Burma. for Thailand The government has taken a more cautious approach towards growers. Focus on anti-drug efforts rather than urban enforcement Clearly, the Lao government has made no effort to stop drug businesses in its jurisdiction.

The CIA further reported that….

In the near future we expect heroin derived from the Golden Triangle to enter the US market in increasing quantities. This is because Mexican heroin is prevented from entering the United States in normal quantities. and Golden Triangle heroin in Western Europe was replaced by heroin of South Asian origin.

Drug trafficking process during that period There is the issue of the soldiers. “Communists” involved So the CIA intelligence agency had to come in and “manage” it to reduce it from the start of production.

America at that time, “hippies” or flowers, wore long hair and lived a mixed life. Almost all were addicted to heroin. Heroin must be taken by injection. Must carry a needle set There were needle marks on his arm which easily showed that he was addicted to heroin.

Tens of thousands of southern Chinese armed groups and their families have spread. Settling down to live in the Golden Triangle and high in the mountains.

The CIA sends officers to talk and make friends in the distant mountains. For this group of forces to be “warriors” to resist the Chinese Communist forces that are becoming more assertive in Southeast Asia.

The United States wants to stop the spread of communism in Burma, Laos, Vietnam, Thailand.

The CIA made secret deals with the KMT (Kuomintang) to gather intelligence and arm them to fight a guerilla war in Yunnan province.

The CIA provided arms, money, military equipment and support in return, but the KMT still needed more money to feed its group.

The issue of growing and trading opium is a “perfect” issue because there is a large area of ​​land. Weather permitting There is no product that can be sold. Local people then turned to growing opium and producing medicine. There are many groups that grow opium and compete with each other. Some groups don’t invest in anything. While waiting to hide each other’s goods, KMT armed forces were hired to protect drug convoys for agents in Thailand.

Robbery, murder, and taking drugs of huge value in the mountain forests It is normal.

That being said…extract, destroy and destroy the drug production process in the Golden Triangle area. To prevent it from spilling over into America.

The head of the KMT, General Duan Suewen, said in an interview in the mid-1960s, “We are dealing in opium. We must fight against the evil of communism. To fight, you must have an army. The army must have guns. To buy a gun you have to have money. And in these mountains? The only money is opium.”

This is the darkness that Who prevents – who trades? because it is a large amount of money

Over time, the work of the CIA supporting the KMT group is solid to help stop drugs and help block Chinese communists “accused” of supporting related to the drug trade because at that time the CIA hired a company a private company called Air America to fly them back and forth as they wish. There are many different types of Air America aircraft. (He also flew in to support the secret war in Laos.)

A journalist in America, Mr. McCoy (Alfred W. McCoy), to write an article raising doubts. It became big news in America. Because news has revealed that the KMT side lives well and has new, modern weapons from America. News in America said that the planes of this company “transport drugs” themselves

Accused of forming an alliance to facilitate drug traffickers around the world in the name of anti-Communism. Since its establishment in 1947

American society is quite skeptical. Because hundreds of thousands of American soldiers in the Vietnam War were exposed as a massive “Drug Addiction”.

The CIA issued a press release in response, strongly denying the multi-committee investigation. No evidence of wrongdoing as alleged was found.

In the past heroin harmed and destroyed Thai society. It’s a business where people are willing to risk their lives. When caught There is target shooting to create fear. But it’s still spreading everywhere.

Statistics on people addicted to amphetamines and all kinds of drugs Thai society knows it is “huge” There are small people walking in the alleys and lanes There are big people in society. Thai people commit brutal crimes…

These days..we are used to thinking that..“this is normal”.

General Nipat Thonglek

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