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S.H.A.N : DRUG BUSINESS



S.H.A.N : DRUG BUSINESS
August 02, 1996

In mid-June, Khun Sa and his friend Lao Chang who stays with him in Rangoon (
who was and still is, the owner of two heroin refineries at Mae Aw-Ho Ha near
the Thai border, 10 miles southwest of Ho Murng ). 
went to Tarng Yarn in northern Shan State and continued to Norng Leng village,
Khun Sa's birthplace, 30-40 miles north of Tarng Yarn in Loi Maw village tract.
It is said that now opium production is good in the area and, thus, other
business. And because the Burmese army does not make so much trouble, many
traders from other places are crowding in to trade. Lao Chang, it seems, is
going to set up refineries to produce no.3 ( brown powder ) or no. 4 ( white
powder heroin ) while accompany Khun sa to revisit his native place - thus goes
the speculation among those who have their hands, one way or another, in drug
deals.

Khun Sa's second son, Zarm Hurng ( who supervises all jobs and support for 1700
former MTA members in Ho Murng ), also regularly sends his men to buy raw opium
in the areas of Kar Li, Kun Hing, Nam Zarng, Murng Nai etc. and truck down to
Larng Khur and Wan Hart after which they are carried on horse-back or by
back-packed porters across the Salween river to Ho Murng. He has posted his men
to many places such Wan Hart, Nar Kong up to Larng Khur, Murng Pan, Murng Nai
etc.

Zaai Lon, a former captain, and Long Yarng, a former lieutenant of MTA who would
had surrendered in early February at Murng Pan, and about 30 of their men have
retrieved their hidden weapons and are active again in their former areas of
Murng Pan - Torng Kwai, Wo Laai, Pung Kur, Tong Zu, Huay Zoi, Wan Kyorng, Nong
Heng, up to Parng Pi and Kung Maao where opium production is good. They collect
raw opium, cross the Salween to the east and sell their stuff to Zarm Hurng's
men.

Since April, Zarm Hurng has been instructing his men to move their equipments
from heroin refineries in Khaai Long ( a border area opposite Mae Lana, Pai
district, Mae Hong Son province of Thailand ) to Nar Mark Tee where they set up
new refineries in the valley of Huay Oom Moi, northeast of Nar Mark Tee,
southwest of KIu Kaw, north of and close to Wan Loi  Waeng ( a Pa-O village ).
It is a long narrow valley that reaches Ta Sangs ferry of Salween by an old
logging road. There are no Burmese troops deployed in the area except a small
out post, 2-3 hours walk from Ta Sangs. It is said that when all is ready for a
refining process, they would  secretly pay 1,000,000 Kyats " tax " to the
military autorities in Ho Murng.Then, from 10 to 15 days, there would be no
Burmese troops patrolling or going around in the area. The 1,000,000 Kyats
secret tax is for a permission to refine 1,000 viss of opium into no. 4 heroin.
After that all the equipments would be kept away in some hidden places until
some 500 - 1,000 viss of raw opium is collected, enough for another refining
process.

In the jungle around Wan Khang Par ( a village near Nam Mae Kun brook on the
rugged motor-road mid-way between Ho Murng and Mai Sung  - a border village
opposite Ban Piang Luang of Thailand ), before the surrender of MTA to SLORC,
there used to be heroin refineries owned by Lt. Col.Yaeb Murng ( an ethnic
Chinese from Loi Maw, northern Shan State, and trusted follower of Khun Sa, and
as he was the commander of 8 Brigade in the area of Murng Kerng and Laai Kai ,
had killed Gun Yawd's men, causing him to break away from MTA ) and Zao Leng
Khur ( a ) Kao Myin Zer. Though the refineries had temporarily stopped
functioning and the equipments kept away during the months of January and
February when the Burmese occupying force first entered the area, some secret
tax might have done the trick, they are now refunctioning under the green light
from SLORC troops, enjoying even more freedom than before, since mid-March.

Men sent to buy opium by Zarm Hurng and Yaeb Murng usually take both hard cash
and amphetamine tablets produced in Ho Murng with them to buy as well as barter
for opium. At present, one tablet of amphetamine fetches 200 Ks at Loi Seng, the
popular gem mines of Murng Su in central Shan State. There are hardly any who do
not use amphetamine  among the mine workers, including some traders.

The price of raw opium in the areas of Kar Li, Kun Hing, Kho Lam and Nam Zarng
is 62,000 -65,000 Ks per viss in towns' secret markets. It becomes 80,000 Ks per
viss in Murng Pan, and after it crosses the Salween to the east and reaches Nar
Mark Tee, it is 20,000 Bahts.

One bag of no. 4 heroin ( 750 gm ) fetches 350,000 Bahts. Amphetamine tabs are
of 4 or 5 catagories according to their effects and are given different names
and colours  - the pinky-coffee one is called "Lawjula " ( a Thai alphabet ) ;
the yellow-brown one is " Phawphan-99 " ( also Thai alphabet ); and the one in
coffee is " M" ( English alphabet ). They are sold in Ho Murng at different
average prices -B16,B22,B32, etc. for one tablet.

Insider.
*****