Myanmar to become the world's largest supplier of opium..."I think the production volume will increase".

Myanmar, which has seen a significant increase in drug production since the coup in 2021, has cemented its position as the world's largest supplier of opium, the data showed.

According to a report on opium in Southeast Asia released by the UN Drug and Crime Office, UNODC, on the 12th local time, Myanmar's poppy cultivation has remained at its highest level since the last three consecutive years of increase.

"As high cultivation levels enter the initial stabilization phase, Myanmar has cemented its status as the world's largest supplier of opium," the UNODC explained.

Myanmar became the world's largest producer of opium last year when Afghanistan's ruling Taliban banned poppy cultivation.

"The global supply chain is being adjusted due to Afghanistan's poppy cultivation ban, which is likely to further expand opium production in Myanmar in the future," warned Masood Karimipur, UNODC's Asia-Pacific regional director.

In Myanmar, the northeastern province of Shan, which borders China, Thailand and Laos, is the largest producer, accounting for 88% of the poppy cultivation area.

The so-called Golden Triangle, which borders Myanmar, Thailand, and Laos, is considered a world-class drug production site.