The Ecstasy Route to Rainforest Destruction

Ecstasy is Playing Havoc with the Rainforests of Cambodia

Feb 26, 2009

The drug lords of Cambodia are operating in the rainforests of Cambodia procuring raw material for Ecstasy, causing irreparable damage to the rainforests in the process.

Drug syndicates are hacking down the last remaining trees of highly endangered Mreah Prew Phnom tree (Cinnamomum parthenoxylon). A very sad chapter in the conservation scenario of Cambodia. The IUCN’s Red List of Threatened Species has classified Mreah Prew Phnom tree as ‘Data Deficient’.

Manufacture of Sassafras oil

Sassafras oil, the main ingredient that goes in to manufacture of Ecstasy is extracted from Mreah Prew Phnom tree. The process involves boiling the roots and the trunk of the tree in a cauldron. Several newly built sassafras factories run by drug syndicates have sprung up on Phnom Samkos Wildlife Sanctuary.

A Biodiversity Hotspot

The Cardamom Mountains where the sanctuary is located cover over 2 million hectares of forest, one of the largest remaining blocks of evergreen forest left in Southeast Asia. The area is rich in biodiversity and supports a large number of endemic animals and plants. The area is also a biodiversity hotspot harboring over 60 globally threatened species. Conservationists point out that the area is yet to be fully explored biologically.

Damage to the Ecosystem

Enormous quantities of fuel wood from rainforests are used in the distillation of Sassafras oil. The factories require water for distillation and are invariably located near streams. Toxic by-products from the distillation process are dumped carelessly in to the streams causing pollution of the environment. The operators have absolutely no compunction about resorting to poaching also to supplement their ration. The entire environment gets a beating in this covert activity.

Silver Lining in The Cloud

The untrammeled ways of the drug syndicate are over. Fauna & Flora International (FFI), the environmental organization, has taken up the cudgel and is taking a lead role in stopping this menace. The association recently spearheaded an operation along with Cambodian authorities and closed down several ecstasy oil distilleries in Cambodia's Cardamom Mountains. A helping hand came from Australian Federal Police also.

In the operation against drug lords 33 tones of sassafras oil was confiscated The oil was burned at a special public ceremony organized by the Cambodian government The produce was enough to make 245 million ecstasy tablets and would have fetched US$7bn in the international market. FFI has been working hand in hand with Cambodian authorities in the Cardamom Mountains since 2000.

A Pat on The Shoulder

The guys at FFI deserve a pat on the shoulder for the magnificent piece of job they are doing in extending support for the conservation of rainforests. Hats off to the brave hearts. Cambodian authorities and FFI alone cannot stop the menace. They need support from the international community. The timely help from Australia is praiseworthy and worthy of emulation by other countries.

References

1) Ecstasy Oil distilleries raided in Cambodia's Cardamom Mountains.(Press release dated 25/02/09 available at Fauna and Flora website)

The copyright of the article The Ecstasy Route to Rainforest Destruction in Environmental Activism is owned by Mohan Alembath. Permission to republish The Ecstasy Route to Rainforest Destruction in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.