poledriver
Bluelighter
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Kim regime cashing in on North Korean crystal meth boom
North Korea has regulations on haircuts, bans on WiFi internet, and citizens could be executed for owning a Bible.
But the oppressive regime is turning a blind eye to – and even profiting from – the manufacture and sale of crystal methamphetamine both in and outside the country.
Crystal meth, or ice, is considered one of the most addictive and harmful drugs in the world, but not in North Korea.
"It's not treated as serious abuse, and can even be prescribed as medicine," University of Technology Sydney associate professor Bronwen Dalton told nine.com.au.
The prevalence of drug use in North Korea is very common, according to International Christian University in Tokyo's Stephen Nagy.
"Most South Korean studies based on interviews with defectors say that about 30 percent of the population are using some kind of drug," he told nine.com.au.
"These drugs are used to deal with the exhausting labour conditions, for 'recreation' and escapism."
There's many reasons the regime turns a blind eye to the drug trade, Dr Nagy said.
"First, it manufactures drugs for export to earn hard currency. It excepts some of the surplus to filter into the population," he said.
"Second, the stimulates keep the fatigued population energetic enough to continue working to meet the regime's demands including agricultural production etc."
"Drugs are easier to come by than rice," one refugee told the Database Centre for North Korean Human Rights.
"Unless you're a simple organism, you do drugs," said another.
North Korea is now a significant exporter of illegal drugs, with crystal meth from the country flooding the market in the Chinese border province of Liaoning.
"If you're a drug addict in China, you are usually addicted to heroin," Dr Dalton said.
"But in that province it's crystal meth."
Drug smuggling into China is as simple as crossing the Yalu River, often across the bridge to Dandong.
Chinese authorities only check a fraction of the hundreds of trucks that cross the border every day, meaning smugglers can skirt narcotics laws as easily as they can skirt other sanctions placed on North Korea.
Drug use is illegal in North Korea, but the ostensibly socialist regime has no qualms about lining their pockets with drug bribes.
"It's excused particularly if methamphetamine results in earning foreign currency," said Dr Dalton.
Cont -
http://www.9news.com.au/world/2017/...-crystal-meth-boom-drug-smuggling-kim-jong-un
North Korea has regulations on haircuts, bans on WiFi internet, and citizens could be executed for owning a Bible.
But the oppressive regime is turning a blind eye to – and even profiting from – the manufacture and sale of crystal methamphetamine both in and outside the country.
Crystal meth, or ice, is considered one of the most addictive and harmful drugs in the world, but not in North Korea.
"It's not treated as serious abuse, and can even be prescribed as medicine," University of Technology Sydney associate professor Bronwen Dalton told nine.com.au.
The prevalence of drug use in North Korea is very common, according to International Christian University in Tokyo's Stephen Nagy.
"Most South Korean studies based on interviews with defectors say that about 30 percent of the population are using some kind of drug," he told nine.com.au.
"These drugs are used to deal with the exhausting labour conditions, for 'recreation' and escapism."
There's many reasons the regime turns a blind eye to the drug trade, Dr Nagy said.
"First, it manufactures drugs for export to earn hard currency. It excepts some of the surplus to filter into the population," he said.
"Second, the stimulates keep the fatigued population energetic enough to continue working to meet the regime's demands including agricultural production etc."
"Drugs are easier to come by than rice," one refugee told the Database Centre for North Korean Human Rights.
"Unless you're a simple organism, you do drugs," said another.
North Korea is now a significant exporter of illegal drugs, with crystal meth from the country flooding the market in the Chinese border province of Liaoning.
"If you're a drug addict in China, you are usually addicted to heroin," Dr Dalton said.
"But in that province it's crystal meth."
Drug smuggling into China is as simple as crossing the Yalu River, often across the bridge to Dandong.
Chinese authorities only check a fraction of the hundreds of trucks that cross the border every day, meaning smugglers can skirt narcotics laws as easily as they can skirt other sanctions placed on North Korea.
Drug use is illegal in North Korea, but the ostensibly socialist regime has no qualms about lining their pockets with drug bribes.
"It's excused particularly if methamphetamine results in earning foreign currency," said Dr Dalton.
Cont -
http://www.9news.com.au/world/2017/...-crystal-meth-boom-drug-smuggling-kim-jong-un
