The Red Wa is the most powerful organized crime gang in Thailand. The Red Wa come from

Burma Myanmar, ; UK pronunciations: US pronunciations incl. . Note: Wikipedia's IPA conventions require indicating /r/ even in British English although only some British English speakers pronounce r at the end of syllables. As John C. Wells, Joh ...

and they are associated with the

United Wa State Army The United Wa State Army (; my, ဝပြည် သွေးစည်းညီညွတ်ရေး တပ်မတော်, ), abbreviated as the UWSA or the UWS Army, is the military wing of the United Wa State Party (UWSP), the ''de facto' ...

. They are composed of people from the Wa ethnic group and they work together with Chinese organized criminals in the drug trade. The Red Wa control the

methamphetamine Methamphetamine (contracted from ) is a potent central nervous system (CNS) stimulant that is mainly used as a recreational drug and less commonly as a second-line treatment for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and obesity. Meth ...

trade in Thailand and neighboring countries and are also known for being involved in the trafficking and sale of other drugs, mainly heroin. Although they primarily focus on

drug trafficking A drug is any chemical substance that causes a change in an organism's physiology or psychology when consumed. Drugs are typically distinguished from food and substances that provide nutritional support. Consumption of drugs can be via insuffla ...

, groups associated with the

have also been involved in other crimes in order to protect their territory.http://www.intelasia.net/burma-is-key-to-ending-regional-drug-trafficking-233353

References

{{reflist Transnational organized crime Organized crime groups in Myanmar Organised crime groups in Thailand