Due to the historical background and the political situation, armed terrorist groups have emerged in Myanmar. Tatmadaw, acting like a family with patience and endurance, continues to prioritize and implement peace and ceasefire efforts. Taking advantage of this situation, opportunistic individuals, together with local ethnic armed groups, have engaged in establishing drug operations, producing and selling narcotics, extracting natural resources, running online scams and gambling, and carrying out other criminal activities.
The State Government, Tatmadaw, and the Myanmar Police Force, in collaboration with neighbouring countries and the public, were able to uncover and seize it in a historic operation. While the drug problem poses a threat to the entire nation and requires international cooperation, due to certain limitations, the operation was carried out to the fullest extent using domestic resources.
In Myanmar, Shan State, due to its water and land resources suitable for poppy cultivation, was once famously known as the “Golden Triangle” and became a major source of narcotics. Tatmadaw, prioritizing durable peace, repeatedly conducted peace negotiations and suspended military operations. During these pauses in military activity, some narcotics operations continued by some armed groups, so Tatmadaw issued warnings and took preventive measures. After October 2023, narcotics and other criminal enterprises reestablished themselves and grew in scale.
Since 2025, Tatmadaw, in coordination with MPF, neighbouring countries, and local communities, has carried out operations to locate, uncover, and dismantle sites involved in online scams and drug production. This recent operation represents the largest and most significant anti-narcotics campaign in Myanmar’s history in terms of scale, clarity, destruction, and arrests. During the operation, Tatmadaw battalions and Myanmar Police commando companies served their missions under challenging conditions.
The operation related to the seizure took place from 8 to 12 January. The amount of seized ICE accounts for 33.44 per cent of the total ICE that was produced and distributed across Myanmar in 2025. As a result, the three locations where the drugs were seized are believed to be primary production sites within the country. Various trafficking routes have been identified from these locations: via the sea to foreign countries involving AA members; via the Loikaw and Toungoo routes to Thailand involving KNU/KNLA, NUG, and PDF personnel; and via the Kalay-Kalewa route involving PDF and CDF members.
Utmost efforts are underway to effectively wipe out drug production, trafficking and distribution, as well as telecom fraud and online gambling activities, which tarnish the image and prestige of the State. Hence, the government takes severe action against any organizations mainly concerned with the cases of recently-seized narcotic drugs.
