SORSOGON COLLEGE OF CRIMINOLOGY, INC.

3982 Rizal St.,Piot, Sorsogon City

sorcollgeofcriminology@gmail.com

COURSE TITLE: VICE AND DRUG EDUCATION AND CONTROL

INTRUCTOR: DR. ARLINETTE JOSE OCAMPO
PERIOD COVERED: PRELIMS

CHAPTER I

MOTIVATIONS FOR DRUG USE

People take drugs for the following reasons:

1. For relaxation
2. Stress relief
3. Increased energy levels
4. Peer pressure
5. Pain relief
6. Escapism
7. Increased self-esteem
8. For recreation purposes

Specific examples include people who take stimulants to stay alert as required in their
respective jobs, those who consume cocaine to elicit the feeling of excitement it produces, and
athletes and bodybuilders who take anabolic steroids to increase muscle mass.

Worldwide Trends In Illegal Drug Production and Trafficking

Drug use rates throughout Asia remain at low levels, with the annual prevalence rates of
amphetamine-type stimulants (ATS) ranging between 0.2% and 1.2% of the total adult
population. Prevalence rates for other types of drugs are as follows: Opioids: between 0.3% and
0.5%, Cannabis: between 0.1% to 3.1%, Ecstacy: between 0.1% to 0.70%, and Cocaine: 0.05%
of the total adult population.

The overall rating is considered lower than the global average worldwide. However, among the
total number of drug users, Asia is home to an estimated 25% to 40% of illicit drug users, 30%
to 60% of ATS users, and 60% of opiates users. Moreover, from East and SouthEast Asia
reported higher levels of ATS use in 2011. In comparison, cannabis is still the most commonly
used illegal substance across Europe, with an annual prevalance of 5.6%, followed by cocaine
(0.8%), opioids (0.7%) and ATS (0.5%).

Many emerging trends in the trafficking of certain types of drugs and their development as well
as new markets and new modes of transport have been reported. In drug trafficking, maritime
seizures are where the quantities lie. Based on the reported data from 1997 to 2011, each
maritime seizure was, on average, almost four times larger, 30 times larger than consignments
seized while being trafficked by air, and almost four times larger than those trafficked by road
and railway channels (United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime [UNODC], 2013)

Categories of New Psychoactive Substances (NPS)

sold on the global market (UNODC, 2013)

Ketamine: This is a type of anesthetic used for humans and animals. It acts as a
stimulant and a hallucinogen at low and high doses, respectively. Owing to its popularity,
it is considered one of the most widespread types of NPS in Asia.

Piperazines: Commonly sold as "ecstasy," these have gained popularity because of

their properties that stimulate the central nervous system. N-benzylpiperazine (BZP) and
1-(3-chlorophenyl) piperazine (mCPP) are among the most commonly reported
substances that belong to this group.
 Phenethylamines: This group has substances related to methamphetamine and
amphetamine. These generally produce stimulant effects. Recently, modified versions of
these compounds have been reported to yield such powerful hallucinogens as Bromo-
Dragonfly.

Plant-based substances: Plants with psychoactive properties are commonly included

in this group. There are two most frequently reported forms of plant-based substances.
The first is khat (Catha edulis), which is a plant that is native to the African and the
Arabian peninsula. As the users chew the leaves of this plant, this action releases
stimulants such as cathinone and cathin, which are absorbed in the user's bloodstream.
The second type of kratom (Mitragyna speciosa), which is a plant indigenous to
Southeast Asia. It contains mitragynine, which is an alkaloid that acts as a stimulant and
as a sedative at low and high doses, respectively.

Synthetic cannabinoids: These receptor agonists generate effects that are similar to
those of delta- 9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), which is the main psychoactive
component of cannabis. Often, synthetic cannabinoids are infused with herbal products
and then sold under street names such as "K2," "spice," "kronic," etc.

Synthetic cathinones: These are derivatives and analogues of the internationally

controlled substance known as cathinone, which in turn, is one of the chemically active
components of the khat plant. These cathinones often produce stimulant effects and
include commonly reported NPS, such as methylenedioxypyrovalerone (MDPV) and
mephedrone, to name a few.

Other substances: Those classified as other substances include aminoindanes, which

act as stimulants, and tryptamines and phencyclidine-type substances, which act as
hallucinogens.

Ten Most Commonly Used Illegal Drugs Worldwide

1. Heroin
2. Crack cocaine
3. Methamphetamine
4. Cocaine
5. Marijuana
6. Opium
7. Ecstacy
8. LSD
9. PCP
10. Psilocybin mushrooms

Illicit Drug Routes

Investigators have uncovered common routes taken by manufacturers to transport illicit drugs.
These routes are described below.

The Golden Triangle

Known as one two main opium-producing areas in Asia, The Golden Triangle has a size of
approximately 950,000 km2, which overlaps the mountain ranges of three Southeast Asia
countries, namely, Laos, Thailand, and Myanmar. Along with Afghanistan in the Golden
Crescent, the so-called "Golden Triangle" is widely considered one of the most extensive
opium-producing areas in the world since the 1950s. In fact, until the early 21st century, majority
of the world's heroin was produced in the Golden Triangle.

Today, small traffickers in Bangkok and other parts of Thailand control smaller quantities of
heroin being sold in the international markets. However, in the past, major traffickers in Bangkok
who much of the production and foreign sales of Southeast Asian heroin from Thailand.
However, a combination of pressure from local law enforcement agencies, media publicity, and
a regional drought has significantly reduced their role in this complex drug production.
Presently, heroin and opium that are produced in the northeastern region of Myanmar are
transported by donkey or horse caravans to refineries located along the Burma-Thailand border.
Upon their arrival, these drugs are converted to heroin and heroin base, after which most of the
finished products are shipped across the border to towns throughout North Thailand and in
Bangkok, for subsequent international market distribution (Golden Triangle Drug Production,
n.d.).

Heroin produced in Southeast Asia is brought to the US by commercial airlines. Among the US
states, Hawaii and California are the main entry points of Golden Triangle heroin. However,
small percentages of the drug are brought to other cities too, such as New York and even
Washington, D.C. Although Southeast Asian drug-trafficking groups have achieved success in
sneaking heroin to the US, they initially faced challenges in its street-level distribution in the
beginning. However, contacts between Asian and American prisoners began to develop and
flourish when Asian traffickers incarcerated in American prisons in the 1970s established
contacts with American gangs and organizations who then agreed to distribute and sell heroin.

Meanwhile, another ethnic group, the Chinese Muslim Panthay, also became involved in drug
trafficking. They are descendants of Chinese Hui Muslim immigrants from Yunnan Province,
China. Non-Muslim Jeen Haw and Chinese Panthays work with each other in the Golden
Triangle Drug trade. These groups engage in heroin trade and are known to be part of the Triad
societies working with other Chinese groups operating in Thailand, including the 14K Triad and
the Hakka and TeChiew. Ma Hseuh-fu a Chinese who hailed from Yunnan Province, whose
other professions included being a hotelier and tea trading, was widely considered one of the
most famous Jeen Haw heroin drug lords of his time (Golden Triangle Drug Production, n.d.).

At the same time, Ma Zhengwen, a Pantay from Burma, also proved to be a useful ally to the
Chinese drug lord Khun Sa when the latter first sold heroin in northern Thailand. Over in Burma,
the Panthays also monopolized opium trafficking. These Panthays, together with their
established contacts, created secret drug routes to smuggle drugs coming from Burma to the
international market via south China.

The Golden Crescent

The Golden Crescent is another area in Asia where illicit opium production takes place. This
area is primarily located at the crossroads of Western, South, and Central Asia and overlaps
three countries, namely, Iran, Pakistan, and Afghanistan. The mountainous peripheries of these
three countries constitute the so-called crescent. However, of the three, only Pakistan and
Afghanistan are opium producers, while Iran serves as a trans-shipment route for these
smuggled opiates, aside from being a consumer of such illegal drugs (Steinberg, 1995).

According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), for the last 10 years,
there have been significant changes in the areas considered as primary sources of heroin.
Specifically, heroin production in Southeast Asia saw a dramatic decline, while heroin
production in Southwest Asia expanded. In 1991, Afghanistan became the world's primary
narcotic producer, with a yield of 1,782 metric tons based on U.S. State Department estimates.
This amount surpassed those of other Asian nations, making it the global leader in narcotic
production.

The decrease in opiate production from Asian nations is the result of many years of undesirable
conditions and revolving government policies. Afghan-based opiate production experienced a
notable decrease in 2001 as a result of the Taliban's opinion against opiate production. At
present, however, Afghanistan produces over 90% of the world's non-pharmaceutical-grade
drugs. Aside from opiates Afghanistan is also the world's largest producer of hasheesh (Wright,
2009).

The Golden Crescent incorporates a much longer history of narcotic production compared with
Southeast Asia's Golden Triangle. The Golden Triangle emerged as a modern opium-producing
entity only in the 1990s, while the Golden Crescent did so in the 1950s. Moreover, the Golden
Triangle began taking control over the narcotic and painkiller market only in the 1980s, and
since then, it has steadily augmented its output to match the increasing global demand.
Throughout the invasion of Afghanistan in 2001, a revenge against the September 11 terrorist
attacks, the Golden Crescent's narcotic production took a large hit; by then, it was only
producing nearly 90% less narcotic than in it did in 2000.
At the height of its narcotic production in 2007, the Golden Crescent has just about monopolized
illegal drug production in the world. The Golden Crescent additionally caters to a much larger
market: it produces and distributes about 2,500 megatons of opiates to various continents, such
as Europe and Central Asia, providing drugs to nearly 9.5 million drug users worldwide (Wright,
2009).

Despite global efforts to capture and seize the maximum amount of illegal drugs produced, total
drug seizures only brought in 23.5% of the entire amount of products distributed throughout the
world. Of those seizures, majority are produced in the Middle East. In Afghanistan, only 1% of
the opiates exported illegally are intercepted and destroyed by the national government.
Moreover, although Afghanistan is the major producer of opiates within the Golden Crescent,
most of the seizures are made in Asian countries, their neighbor to the west. This may be due to
the fact that drug traffickers tend to distribute their merchandise to Europe or wherever there's a
high demand for opiates. The majority of traffickers who transport the drugs produced within the
Golden Crescent are Russians, Uzbeks, and Tajiks. In Pakistan the bulk of traffickers consist of
38% Nigerians and 32% Pakistanis.

These traffickers facilitate the transportation of drugs from the manufacturing base to the end-
user markets; despite the risks involved, the hefty profits that can be made do not seem to deter
these traffickers from this illegal activity. The bulk of drugs made in Afghanistan comes from the
Kandahar and Helmand provinces, with Helmand being the foremost producer. Of the 5,300
tons of drugs made in Afghanistan, 2,700 tons are turned into opiates (Drug Trafficking, United
Nations Office on Drugs and Crime [UNODC], N.D.).

The Main Sources of Cannabis Resin

By 2011, the major countries mentioned as the major sources of cannabis resin included
Morocco at the top, followed by Afghanistan,, and to a lesser degree, Lebanon, India, and
Pakistan. In these countries, seizures of cannabis resin frequently take place. However, we
should treat such data with caution as they do not make a distinction between which countries
are considered transit countries and which are countries of origin (World Drug Report, UNODC,
2014).

Illegal Drug Trade in the Philippines

At present, the illegal drug trade in the Philippines is considered a critical national issue, with
methamphetamine hydrochloride (also known as shabu) and marijuana as two of the most used
and valued illegal drugs in the country. For the past few years, ephedrine and methylenedioxy
methamphetamine (also known as ecstasy) are also among the list of illegal drugs that are of
great concern to the authorities (Drug Situation in the Philippines, 2009).

Marijuana Production

The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) reported that the mountainous parts of Luzon,
Visayas, and Mindanao are very viable marijuana cultivation zones. Marijuana created within
the country is distributed regionally and is additionally exported to different countries. The local
distribution of marijuana has increased since 2012 despite the destruction of illegal marijuana
plantations throughout the country.

Shabu Production

Since 2010, drug syndicates are manufacturing meth in small-scale and kitchen-type
laboratories to prevent detection by Philippine authorities. Normally, drug syndicates rent
warehouses to be used as their drug laboratories. These syndicates prefer renting houses in
private subdivisions, condominiums, and residential areas where they can establish bases for
their illegal drug production. Private properties have become favorable to drug syndicates as
sites of illegal drug production. Shabu continues to enjoy high demand in the country than
cocaine, which is a more expensive illegal drug.

Transnational Drug Trade in the Philippines

International drug syndicates view the Philippines as an excellent transit hub where they can
carry out their illegal drug trade. Some local drug syndicates are involved in the international
illegal drug trade, and these syndicates use drug mules to move small amounts of illegal drugs
to various target countries. Due to the geographical make-up of the country, the Philippines is
being unceasingly used as transshipment conveyance hub of illegal drug traffickers both local
and foreign. The long shorelines of central and southern Philippines are typically used as the
landing and/or entry points of illegal drugs from China (Philippine Center on Transnational
Crime [PCTC], n.d.).

Unfortunately, some overseas Filipino workers are also used by drug syndicates as drug mules
either wittingly or unwittingly. In fact, the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) has been
known as an excellent illegal drug traffic hub. Today, the NAIA continues to be the popular
trafficking avenue for illegal drugs in tiny quantities ranging from one kilo to multi-kilo
transshipments by drug traders and drug mules. Reports indicate that drug mules often hide
their illegal cargo in secret compartments of their bags, shoes, books or the garments they're
wearing.

Drug mules also place them within the bottom part of their bags, in their purses, shoe boxes,
bottles, small packages, and other objects. Others go. as so as far as wrapping up drugs around
their body, undergoing minor surgery to place the drugs inside their body, or even ingesting the
harmful drugs to avoid detection. In previous reports, female drug couriers inserted the package
into their privates, whereas male drug mules inserted the drug packets into their anuses. These
strategies are common yet dangerous ways of moving tiny amounts of drugs; a courier may die
if a drug packet bursts before exiting the body.

Perhaps due to poverty, many Filipinos choose to be involved in drug trafficking owing to the
promise of a high financial gain. Some still participate in illegal activities because they are
forced by certain circumstances. There have been reports in the past that some Filipinos were
forced and blackmailed by drug syndicates to serve as drug couriers; their refusal would mean
that their family's safety would be threatened (PCTC, n.d.).

In a report published in 2009, the Manila-based firm, Pacific Strategies & Assessments,
identified the Philippines as not just a transhipment point but as a key producer of synthetic
drugs in all of Asia. On December 2013, the Philippine National Police-Anti-Illegal Drug Special
Operations Task Force (PNP-AIDSOTF) confirmed reports that the Mexican Sinaloa consortium
had begun operations within the country.

Factors that contribute to the rampant drug courier problem in the Philippines

Many Filipinos have fallen victim to syndicates' promise of love/ marriage, as recorded in many
arrests involving Filipina drug couriers. Others were lured by the chance to travel, the promise of
a comfortable life, and/or having a high-paying job and easy cash. In other words, the drug
courier problem may also be attributed to these factors:

1. Poor educational background

2. Rampant poverty
3. Unemployment
4. Easy money
5. Opportunity to travel

Commonly Abused Drugs in the Philippines

The commonly abused drugs in the Philippines include shabu,

methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) or ecstasy, marijuana, cocaine, and ephedrine.
These are but some of the ordinarily abused drugs within the Philippines. Recently, the drug
problem has reached alarming proportions. The increasing number of arrested drug traffickers;
seizures of huge volumes of dangerous drugs, controlled precursors and essential chemicals;
and the dismantlement of clandestine laboratories since the conception of the powerful PDEA
show the extent and impact of the drug trade and drug abuse problem within the Philippines
(PCTC, n.d.).

The illegal trade of shabu has grown into a P1 billion-a-day business. However, the drug has
currently become more expensive; thus, it is no longer "the poor man's cocaine," according to
antinarcotics agents and international drug reports. The current street value of shabu in the
country ranges from P15,000 to P17,000 depending on the demographic location. Such price
increase may be attributed, in part, to the government's success in dismantling many
clandestine laboratories throughout the country.

The worsening phenomenon of drug addiction in the country is demonstrated by relevant data.
In 1972, there were 20,000 drug users within the Philippines. In 2004, this figure climbed to an
astounding 6.7 million drug addicts throughout the country. Of all the available illegal
substances, shabu and marijuana are preferred by one in every 29 Filipinos aged 10 to 44 years
old (PCTC, n.d.).