And in Japan, Thailand, Taiwan, Malaysia and the Republic of Korea, abuse is on the rise. In Japan, almost 90 per cent of all violations against drug control laws are related to methamphetamine. In the Philippines, methamphetamine has been the most widely abused drug since the early 1990s. In the Republic of Korea and Australia, methamphetamine abuse ranks second after cannabis. In the United Kingdom, amphetamine seizures have quadrupled since 1987.
Recipes are available on the Internet, along with ingredient price lists.
There is evidence that trafficking groups involved in the classic drugs are beginning to diversify into synthetic drugs. The New York Times reported on 19 April 1998 that hill tribes in Myanmar, near the Chinese border, are making more money from methamphetamine than from heroin and refine both drugs themselves using chemicals smuggled in primarily from China. The Mexican Mafia also plays a key role. With the elimination of long-distance trafficking routes, the job of law enforcement becomes much tougher. In Australia, more than 60 laboratories detected in 1995 and 1996 were engaged in the clandestine manufacture of amphetamine or methamphetamine, according to the International Narcotics Control Board.