“Ice, also known as methamphetamine, is the largest in quantity among the drugs that were seized,” anti-drug police officer Aung Myat Soe told reporters.
“There are more than 28 tonnes of it.”
Drugs slated for burning in ceremonies across Yangon, Mandalay and Taunggyi – the capital of eastern Shan state, epicentre of Myanmar’s opium trade – were double the quantity of last year, officials said.
Rebel factions “have exploited periods of political uncertainty to expand their involvement in the illicit drug trade”, Home Affairs Minister Nyunt Win Swe said in a speech printed in state media.
“These activities not only prolong the existence of insurgent groups but also pose a persistent danger to the stability of our nation,” he said.