Myanmar cracks down on drug trade, seizing three major production sites
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Htet Nadi (NP News) - Jan 20
Myanmar authorities have seized three major drug manufacturing sites, identified as the country’s primary drug production hubs, during operations conducted on January 10 and 11, 2026.
This was announced in a follow-up to the January 11 news release on the seizure of drug-making equipment in Hsipaw and Mongyai townships. Furthermore, the drug production sites in Hsipaw and Mongyai Townships that the Tatmadaw seized were operating like factories, according to a press conference held on January 14 regarding the incident.
After clashes broke out in three locations in the two townships above from January 9 to 11 this year, drug production machines, chemicals, and drugs were seized. Then, it has been reported that equipment used in online gambling and drug manufacturing were seized in Hsipaw and Mongyai Townships.
According to January 11 news release, more than 22.7 tonnes of controlled chemicals, including caffeine, 960 liters of acetone, 5,040 liters of toluene, 5 tonnes of ammonium chloride, 2 tonnes of sodium cyanide, 5 tonnes of sodium carbonate, 25,600 liters of acetic acid, and 3,820 liters of nitric acid, were illegally imported for use in drug production.
A drug manufacturing facility and related equipment were seized near Pontat village in Mongyai Township, Shan State (Northern), and two drug manufacturing facilities near Monghe (Lower) village in Tachileik Township, Shan State (Eastern), and a pill-making machine and related equipment were seized from a house in Wan Kaung Mon village, Tachileik Township.
Based on the current estimate of the chemicals seized from the second location, about 20 kilometers southwest of Mongyai, it is estimated that about 27 tonnes of ice (valued at 540 billion kyats) can be produced, and if converted into methamphetamine, about 810 million methamphetamine tablets can be produced worth about Ks1,620 billion.
If these methamphetamine pills reach the market, it is estimated that drugs worth about 1620 billion kyats will be distributed. Analysis of the drug manufacturing equipment seized from the site revealed that more than 27 tonnes of ice (or 810 million methamphetamine pills) are being produced on a regular basis.
At the second location and a third location about 19 kilometers southwest of it, a large number of packages with the inscription GUAN YIN WANG and packages with Chinese inscriptions were also seized.
Of the 37.815 tonnes of ice seized nationwide in 2025, 11.686 tonnes of ice was packaged with the inscription GUAN YIN WANG and 0.96 tonne of ice was packaged with the inscription Chinese inscription, a total of 12.646 tonnes (with a total value of 252.92 billion kyats) were seized. The amount produced and distributed at these two locations is estimated to be 33.44 percent of the amount of ice seized nationwide in 2025.
As the government has stepped up its anti-drug efforts, in 2025, 7,562 suspects were arrested in 5,370 drug cases, along with over 1 tonne of opium worth 1,761.324 billion kyats, over 2.1 tonnes of heroin, over 377 million methamphetamine pills, over 37.8 tonnes of ice, over 1.5 tonnes of opium leaves, over 204 kilograms of happy water, over 15 tonnes of ketamine, and other drugs, 2 automatic rifles, 40 pistols, 2 machine guns, 2,764 rounds of ammunition, 5 hand grenades, and 187,400 detonators, according to the Myanmar Police Force.
In addition, it was reported a total of 5084.5 acres (2057.66 hectares) of opium poppy plantations in Shan State (South) and Shan State (East) were destroyed by a joint team consisting of the Tatmadaw, Myanmar Police Force and related departments, local militia members, local public security and counter-terrorism members during the 2025-2026 poppy cultivation season, and the remaining poppy plantations are being destroyed.