Narcotopia
In Search of the Asian Drug Cartel That Survived the CIA
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Narcotopia
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Narrated by:
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Patrick Winn
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Written by:
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Patrick Winn
About this listen
The gripping true story of an indigenous people running the world’s mightiest narco-state—and America’s struggle to thwart them.
In Asia’s narcotics-producing heartland, the Wa reign supreme. They dominate the Golden Triangle, a mountainous stretch of Burma between Thailand and China. Their 30,000-strong army, wielding missiles and attack drones, makes Mexican cartels look like street gangs.
Wa moguls are unrivaled in the region’s $60 billion meth trade and infamous for mass-producing pink, vanilla-scented speed pills. Drugs finance Wa State, a bona fide nation with its own laws, anthems, schools, and electricity grid. Though revered by their people, Wa leaders are scorned by US policymakers as vicious “kingpins” who “poison our society for profit.”
This is a saga of native people tapping the power of narcotics to create a nation where there was none before—and covert US intelligence operations gone wrong.
©2024 Patrick Winn (P)2024 PublicAffairsWhat the critics say
"Those who fail to read this forsake their chance to know the truth."—Roberto Saviano, author of Gomorrah
“Patrick has made a riveting read out of the largely overlooked—but critically important—Wa State... The history behind it, the masterminds pulling the strings, and the many CIA operations against them. It’s a fascinating and incredibly well-researched dive into Asia’s underworld and some of the greatest narcotics traffickers in the region. And above all, it’s beautifully crafted storytelling.”—Isobel Yeung, VICE
"A riveting portrait of a little-known and often vilified people, a harrowing tale of Asia's epic, multi-billion dollar, drugs trade, and a unique perspective on our world today."—Thant Myint-U, author of The Hidden History of Burma