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U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
INTERNATIONAL NARCOTICS CONTROL STRATEGY REPORT, MARCH 1996:
MAJOR CHEMICAL SOURCE COUNTRIES
United States Department of State
Bureau for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs
China. China's status as a major chemical producer and exporter makes it a
target for traffickers seeking to illegally procure precursor and
essential chemicals; for example, Burmese traffickers seeking chemicals
for heroin manufacture. Control of precursor and essential chemicals is
also a problem in coastal provinces. In September 1995, police in
Fujian Province seized 8.5 kilograms of the synthetic drug ice which
required the diversion of precursor chemicals for its manufacture.
China is a party to the 1988 UN Convention and has regulations meeting
the Conventions provisions for record keeping and reporting,
import/export controls, and seizure of the 22 chemicals listed in the
Convention, but mechanisms for detection and enforcement remain weak.
Chinese officials have sought a dialogue with U.S chemical control
officials on means to strengthen bilateral cooperation, although there
is no formal procedure for making Chinese Government records available
to U.S. officials. In May 1995, Chinese officials also agreed to
expanded cooperation with the Russian Interior Ministry to fight cross-
border crime, including the smuggling of ephedrine.
India. Acetic anhydride is manufactured in India, diverted, and
smuggled into Pakistan and Burma for illicit heroin refining. Some of
it may reach heroin labs in Afghanistan. India also produces some
precursor chemicals used in the local manufacture of synthetic drugs,
and exported and diverted abroad to illicit drug manufacture.
India is a party to the 1988 UN Convention, but it does not have
implementing laws and legislation covering all the chemicals listed in
Annexes 1 and 2 of the Convention. Since 1993, acetic anhydride has
been controlled throughout the country, and reports of rising black
market prices for this heroin essential chemical in Pakistan indicate
the controls are having an impact on diversion and smuggling. As of
November 30, 1995, authorities had seized 7,962 liters of acetic
anhydride, compared with 23,855 liters in 1994 and 19,758 liters in
1994. Combined with rising black market prices, this would indicate
there has been less diversion from domestic production.
Precursor chemicals and synthetic drugs, principally methaqualone, are
illegally exported from India, or exported and subsequently diverted to
illicit drug manufacture. The Indian Government has placed controls
similar to those on acetic anhydride on n-acetylanthranillic acid, the
primary precursor for methaqualone. In Bombay at the end of November
1995, Indian authorities seized two tons of mandrax tablets (the street
name for tableted methaqualone), 2.8 tons of methaqualone and one ton of
their precursor chemicals.
Indian authorities have been extremely cooperative with DEA in
monitoring the manufacture and export of ephedrine and pseudoephedrine
in response to U.S. concerns over its diversion and use in the
manufacture of methamphetamine. In November 1994, The Indian Government
issued a specific decree that established controls over their export.
Indian authorities now notify DEA of every export of these two
precursors and DEA is able to advise the authorities of the risk of
diversion regardless of the recipient government.
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