Although the jade market has been on the decline near the Sino-Burma border, the business of trafficking amphetamine pills is doing well in Tar Makhan and Phar Kant areas. Businessmen are carrying on the jade business in public, as a front, while they indulge in trafficking amphetamine pills to rake in profits, according to a jade businessman from the Sino-Burma border.

An amphetamine pill can be bought with Kyat 800 near the Sino-Burma border. It is then carried into jade mines and is sold at upto Kyat 3000. Therefore it garners a lot of profit, a jade businessman from Jel Gao in China said.

"The jade market has been cold and is deteriorating. At a normal time, such pills cannot be smuggled like this. The traders carry jade from mines during their return trip. They sale the jade at cheap prices and make some money quickly. They then go back to the jade mines and pretend that business is doing well. When they return to the jade mines, they carry pills," sources said.

Businessmen smuggle pills into Burma through many ways. Then they carry the pills into jade mines. They carry jade when they come back from the Sino-Burma border. They resell jade in the jade market, said another jade businessman.

"Pure jade businessmen cannot compete with them. They buy jade with black money. Most of them are former jade businessmen. They have changed their business trends because of hardships of doing business. I know 3-4 businessmen who have changed their business trends," he added.

They carry pills mixed with Chinese goods, by using illegal means. They use money to bribe, while they are travelling. Therefore no news of seizure of pills has surfaced yet, said the same jade businessman.

The jade market near the Sino-Burma border has been deteriorating due to lower demand from China and also because of Burmese currency appreciation.