8. Wei Hsueh-Kang And The United Wa State Army Of Myanmar
Wei Hsueh-Kang, also known as Prasit Chivinnitipanya, is a native of China who became the Southern Military Commander of the United Wa State Army, the largest heroin trafficking syndicate in Southeast Asia (and maybe even the world). He’s been a target of the U.S. DEA for two decades or so, who claim Wei is not just a military commander, but the organization’s financial genius and CEO.
The United Wa State Army/Party (USWA/P) is an ethnic armed rebel group funded by drug money. The WA Army controls large sections of territory in eastern Myanmar, an area that forms part of the so-called Golden Triangle, a renowned drug producing area of the world that includes Thailand and Laos along the Mekong River.
Along with heroin and methamphetamine, Wei is said to be involved in the trade of jade, a semi-precious gemstone. Controlled by organized crime, local people suffer while millions of dollars worth of jade are mined in northern Myanmar every year. Wei Hsueh-Kang is on the U.S. Department of State’s Most Wanted List, with a $2 million reward on offer to anyone who can supply information leading to his arrest.
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