The task in Southeast Asia is complex and long term. Our joint efforts to block the flow of narcotics across borders and within the area run up against several unique problems. The Governments of Laos and South Vietnam have been engaged in wars of national de- fense, while the Governments of Burma and Thailand are threatened by jusurgent groups which control or harass large areas of the opium- growing regions. These governments have limited resources and few trained personnel available for narcotics control. In addition, the lack of internal security hampers police action and intelligence operations against traffickers. The Government of Burma, for example, does not have effective administrative control over a significant portion of the area where most Asian poppies are grown.
The topography of the Golden Triangle area is mountainous, wild, and uncontrollable. When one smuggling route is uncovered and plugged by police and customs teams, the traffickers can easily detour to alternate routes and modes of transportation. We need only look at the difficulties that our own well-trained and -equipped law enforce- ment agencies have in blocking narcoties traffic across our clearly de- fined, peaceful border with Mexico to gain a better appreciation of the difficulties in Southeast Asia.
Moreover, use of opium has been tolerated in the area, and opiam has been regarded as a legitimate commodity of commerce for con- turies under both colonial and indigenous governments. For the hill tribes, opium is still the principal source of medicinal relief for endemic diseases and is also the most lucrative crop to sell or barter for basic necessities. Despite these problems, U.S. Government efforts to encourage the governments of the region to take effective action against the international drug traffic have led to some progress, par- ticularly in Thailand, Laos, and Vietnam.
South Vietnam recently passed a new, tough law against narcotics traflicking and broke a major drug smuggling ring with the arrest of 50 traffickers and seizures of 110 pounds of heroin and 829 pounds of opium. Among those arrested was Wan Pen Phen, reportedly the largest heroin dealer in Vietnam. Laos also has passed a strict law prohibiting trafficking, seized a heroin laboratory, and staffed a new narcotics enforcement unit with 60 trained civilian and military off- cers. During 1972 this unit compiled an impressive record of seizures and arrests. In Thailand, a Special Narcotics Organization (SNO) mobile force operates with U.S. advisers in the heart of the Golden Triangle. By the end of the year, it had seized more than five tons of opium. Seizures increased in other parts of Southeast Asia. In Hong
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