The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (Unctad) has released a report saying drug trafficking in Bangladesh is estimated to have resulted in an annual average of $481 million in outgoing illicit financial flows (IFFs) between 2017 and 2021.
The Unctad study, published on Thursday, stated that the calculation encompasses the trafficking of substances such as methamphetamine tablets (yaba), heroin, and synthetic opioids like buprenorphine and phensedyl.
The analysis spans a period of five years (2017-2021) and covers data from several countries, including Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Colombia, Ecuador, the Maldives, Mexico, Myanmar, Nepal, and Peru.
In the Asian context, the report included Bangladesh along with the Maldives, Nepal, Afghanistan, and Myanmar.
Mexico holds the global leading position in illegal drug money flows, as revealed by the Unctad report.
In the Asian context, Bangladesh surpasses Maldives and Nepal in terms of drug-related illicit financial flows, with Afghanistan and Myanmar trailing in fourth and fifth places, respectively.
The report details the inaugural national estimates of IFFs related to drug trafficking, trafficking in persons, and migrant smuggling for the aforementioned countries, facilitated by the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).
Anu Peltola, head of Unactad's statistical work, stressed the necessity of such statistics to highlight the activities, sectors, and channels most susceptible to illicit financial flows, thereby indicating priority areas for action to curb these flows.
