UN anti-drug conference in Yangon
East and South-east Asia are the world's largest markets for synthetic drugs, the United Nations says.
The use of methamphetamines is rising throughout the region, and large-scale production in China, Myanmar and other countries poses challenges to lawmakers and police.
"It can't be ignored that the billions generated for organised crime exceeds the size of several national economies in the region," said Jeremy Douglas, UN regional representative for South-east Asia and the Pacific.
Policymakers, law enforcement officials and justice delegates met in Yangon, Myanmar on Tuesday for the start of a regional anti-drug trafficking conference organised by the UN Office on Drugs and Crime.
Delegates also addressed concerns about new psychoactive substances, known as "legal highs" because they feature slight modifications to the chemistry of controlled drugs.
