VIENTIANE -- The spread of illegal drugs in Asia is intensifying as conflict in Myanmar fuels greater distribution across borders, driving the amount of methamphetamine seized in East and Southeast Asia last year to a record high.
A shootout occurred between border guards and drug traffickers in northern Thailand's Chiang Rai province on July 11. Authorities found 3.2 million stimulant tablets in a truck abandoned by a fleeing trafficker.
