Asian drug trade

Archive image. Soldiers prepare to burn amphetamines seized from the Golden Triangle. AP  

 

Asian drug trade 

Prostitution and fraud in the lawless "Golden Triangle"  

 

An area of 30 square kilometers in the border area between Laos, Myanmar and Thailand is singled out as lawless land in a new report. Behind the report is the Brussels-based think tank International Crisis Group (ICG), writes The Telegraph. 

 

In the area, which is called the "Golden Triangle", the police have next to no power while the gangs are spreading. Illegal drug and animal sales and crypto scams take place there.  

 

Casinos conduct illegal activities, children are forced into prostitution and there are reports of human trafficking. The area consists of difficult-to-access mountain tracts and is weakly anchored with the respective country, which has contributed to the development.  

 

Joe Biden and Xi Jinping shake hands during a meeting in November 2022. Alex Brandon/AP 

  

Asian drug trade  

The US and China are urged to join forces against crime 

 

 The think tank International Crisis Group (ICG) calls on the US and China to put their rivalry aside in order to deal with the extensive problems in the lawless area of the "Golden Triangle", writes The Telegraph.  

 

The area is difficult to access and connects Laos, Myanmar and Thailand. Prostitution, illegal animal sales and fraud are open in the area, according to ICG's report.  

 

"Geopolitical rivalries must be put aside so that the United States and China can support a coordinated regional approach," the report says.