YANGON, March 8 (Xinhuanet) -- The Myanmar authorities exposed 287
narcotics-drug-related cases in January this year, seizing 131.91
kilograms (kg) of opium and 10.78 kg of heroin, according to the
Myanmar Central Committee for Drug Abuse Control Friday.
   The seizure, made by army units, police and the customs, also
includes 10.13 kg marijuana and 157 kg ephedrine as well as 13
liters of phensedyl and 656,281 tablets of stimulant drugs.
   During the month, the authorities punished 388 people -- 313
men and 75 women -- for being involved in the case, it said.
   According to official statistics, in 2001, the Myanmar
authorities exposed a total of 2,933 drug-related cases with 4,256
people involved, seizing 1,770.76 kg opium, 96.74 kg heroin, 284.
38 kg marijuana and 3,922.16 kg ephedrine as well as 759.63 liters
phensedyl and 32.438 million tablets of stimulant drugs. Of them,
the amount of stimulant drugs registered the highest confiscated
since 1996 when the country began a crack-down on drugs.
   Meanwhile, during the 2001-02 poppy cultivation season which
lasted until the end of January, the authorities destroyed 408.22
hectares of illegally-grown poppy fields.  Enditem