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BURMA/DRUGS



DATE=6/28/97
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
NUMBER=2-216403
TITLE=BURMA DRUGS (L)
BYLINE=MATTHEW CHANCE
DATELINE=BANGKOK
CONTENT=
VOICED AT: 

INTRO:  THAILAND HAS EXTRADITED TWO SUSPECTED DRUG TRAFFICKERS TO
THE UNITED STATES TO STAND TRIAL ON SMUGGLING CHARGES.  STATE 
DEPARTMENT OFFICIALS SAY THE TWO, LIU WEI MING AND CHANG YIN 
LUNG, ARE BELIEVED TO BE SENIOR FIGURES IN A MASSIVE SOUTHEAST 
ASIAN SMUGGLING RING.  MATTHEW CHANCE REPORTS FROM BANGKOK.

TEXT: BOTH MEN HAVE BEEN WANTED IN THE UNITED STATES FOR SOME 
TIME.  LIU WEI MING STANDS ACCUSED OF MASTERMINDING SEVERAL 
SHIPMENTS OF HEROIN INTO THE UNITED STATES.  CUSTOMS OFFICIALS 
SEIZED NEARLY 170 KILOS OF THE NARCOTIC IN ONE HAUL, ALLEGED TO 
HAVE BEEN PLANNED BY MR. LIU BACK IN 1993.  

HE WILL BE STANDING TRIAL IN NEW YORK ALONGSIDE CHANG YIN LUNG.  
MR. CHANG WAS ARRESTED DURING A JOINT THAI AND AMERICAN OPERATION
IN 1994.  THE OPERATION, CODE-NAMED TIGER TRACK, WAS AIMED AT 
BREAKING UP ONE OF THE WORLD'S MOST NOTORIOUS DRUG RINGS, LED BY 
THE BURMESE OPIUM WARLORD KHUN SA.  

UNITED STATES OFFICIALS SAYS TERRITORY IN BURMA'S SHAN STATE, 
UNDER KHUN SA'S CONTROL, PRODUCES MORE THAN HALF OF THE HEROIN 
THAT APPEARS ON AMERICAN STREETS.  

TIGER TRACK SAW THE INDICTMENT OF MORE THAN TWENTY PEOPLE ON DRUG
CHARGES, INCLUDING KHUN SA.  HE ANNOUNCED HIS RETIREMENT FROM THE
BUSINESS LAST YEAR AND IS REPORTED TO BE LIVING IN QUIET 
SECLUSION IN BURMA'S CAPITAL, RANGOON.

LAST MONTH, THE LEADING FIGURE IN KHUN SA'S ORGANIZATION, 
SUSPECTED OF INVOLVEMENT IN AMERICA'S BIGGEST HEROIN SEIZURE, WAS
EXTRADITED FROM THAILAND.

WASHINGTON HAS GREETED THE LATEST EXTRADITIONS AS AN EXAMPLE OF 
HOW TO STEM THE FLOW OF ILLEGAL NARCOTICS FROM SOUTHEAST ASIA, 
BUT THE PROBLEM IS FAR FROM SOLVED.  SINCE KHUN SA ALLEGEDLY 
PULLED OUT OF DRUG TRAFFICKING, ANALYSTS SAY HEROIN PRODUCTION IN
THE AREAS HE CONTROLLED HAS STEADILY RISEN.  (SIGNED)

NEB/MC/KL