YANGON, Myanmar — Myanmar authorities burned more than $600 million worth of seized illegal drugs on Friday, including large quantities of heroin, methamphetamine and other narcotics, in a public ceremony marking the U.N.’s International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking.
Thick clouds of black smoke billowed into the sky on the outskirts of Yangon as officials set ablaze more than 50 tons of confiscated substances, police and local authorities said. Similar destruction events took place in other locations across the country.
The drugs included heroin, opium, ketamine, methamphetamine, marijuana and crystal meth, according to officials. In Yangon alone, about $321 million worth of 31 different types of drugs were destroyed, Aung Myat Soe, a local official, told reporters at the site.
Myanmar’s home affairs ministry and police oversaw the nationwide operation, which authorities described as one of the country’s largest such exercises. The burning coincided with the annual international anti-drug day observed on June 26.
“Details on the exact total quantity destroyed nationwide remain unclear,” officials said, with estimates of the overall value varying slightly across reports. Some accounts put the nationwide figure at around $525 million to $600 million.
Myanmar has long been a major source of opium and synthetic drugs in Southeast Asia’s Golden Triangle region. The military government has faced ongoing challenges in curbing production and trafficking amid internal conflict, with rebel groups and ethnic armed organizations controlling parts of drug-producing areas.
In January, authorities claimed their largest-ever seizures of illicit drugs and manufacturing equipment, though independent verification of production trends is limited due to the security situation.
A senior official was quoted emphasizing the government’s commitment to combating the drug trade. “We will continue to intensify our efforts against narcotics,” the official said, according to local media reports at the ceremony.
Firefighters were present to manage the blaze after officials used petrol to ignite the pile in a bus station compound on the edge of Yangon. The fire burned for about 30 minutes before being extinguished.
The event follows similar annual ceremonies in previous years, during which authorities have destroyed hundreds of millions of dollars in seized drugs. Analysts note that despite such public displays, drug production has persisted and in some cases expanded in conflict-affected border regions.
As of Friday, officials reported no immediate incidents during the burning and said the operation was completed as planned. Further details on the origins of the specific seizures were not immediately released.
