Narco-Terrorism
| Author | Sankar Sen |
| Published date | 01 October 1989 |
| Date | 01 October 1989 |
| DOI | http://doi.org/10.1177/0032258X8906200406 |
| Subject Matter | Article |
SANKARSEN
NARCO-TERRORISM
Trafficking in narcotics, an immensely profitable enterprise, has
today become a key element in global lawlessness. Narcotics traffickers
have been aptly described as modem pirates, wreaking incalculable
damage on the international community. Former American Secretary of
State, George Schultz, has said "the modem versions of piracy are
narcotics-trafficking, terrorism and similar kinds
of
outlaw behaviour".
There is also clear and ample evidence to show the linkage between these
different kinds of lawlessness. Events in different countries
of
the world
clearly demonstrate that money obtained from narcotics trafficking is
utilised to support terrorism and the terrorists in their tum provide
assistance to the drug-traffickers. Thus there is a malevolent marriage
between these two most destructive forces plaguing modem society -
terror and drugs.
In drug-trafficking the profit margin is staggering. A bag of opium
that cost 170 dollars in Burma costs 2 million dollars in the form of heroin
in America and European cities after relatively cheap processing and
dilution. Thus, a wholesaler on smuggling asuitcase full of heroin can
easily earn half amillion dollars aftermeeting theexpenses of an operation
that he has organized and sanctioned without playing any physical part.
The figures are not very different for cocaine and marijuana. It takes 300
kilos of coca leaves to produce three kilos of paste and subsequently one
kilo of pure Cocaine. According to U.S. estimates,adollar'sworth
ofleaf
costs traffickers three dollars as paste and a consumer on the streets 315
dollars as white powder. Hence many modem terrorist groups no longer
rely on bank robberies and other forms of crime to collect money to fund
their activities. They find that alliance with the drug-traffickers provides
them access to enormousfundswhich can be used with lethal effectagainst
the target governments. A profit of 20 million dollars, not large by
international narcotic standards, can provide arms for an insurgency,
threaten the political status quo and ultimately de-stabilise legitimate
governments. The recently-published annual United Nations Narcotic
Control Board report is correct in saying the "verysecurity of some of the
States is threatened" by operations of narcotics traffickers. Recently, the
Deputy Minister Musa Hitam of Malaysia observed that the most serious
national security issue his country faces today is narcotics, and likened it
to an enemy invasion.
Situation in
Burma
In the neighbouring State
of
Burma one can see the close and
diabolical nexus between insurgency and narcotics-trafficking. Of the
110 metric tons
of
opium produced in the Golden Triangle area (where
borders of Burma, Laos and Thailand meet) Burma alone produces 800 to
900 tons. Actually, nearly 30 per cent of the heroin consumed inthe U.S.A.
October 1989 297
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