The United Wa State Army (UWSA) has stopped export of drugs to Thailand, a reliable source close to the group said.

"Thai buyers themselves have taken responsibility of smuggling them into the kingdom," said a Thai businessman working along the Thai-Burma border. "The Wa has new bigger markets now, like Hong Kong, Taiwan, Australia and US."

The popularity of the Wa's Tiger-2 and Vigo speed pills have now gone beyond the borders of Thailand, according to him. "Of course, they still depend on Thailand for raw materials."

Apart from caffeine, the group has recently purchased 10 tons of pseudoephedrine, the main ingredient for the making of methamphetamines, known as Yaba (crazy medicine). "The group doesn't need to raid drug stores for cold-relief pills anymore," he said.

The refineries were facing shortage of ephedrine for some months forcing the group to look for drugs used for relief of cold and cough which contain the synthetic pseudoephedrine. "Out of one cold pill, you can get two yaba pills," an informed truck driver had told SHAN.

On 1 October, Thai News daily reported seizure of 512,000 cold relief pills in Maesai.  Besides the UWSA, other pro-junta militias are also involved in the drug trade. "The Wa is not responsible for what the other groups are doing," said the Thai entrepreneur.

On 13 November, the US Treasury Department announced freezing of assets of 26 individuals and 17 companies linked to Wa commander Wei Hsueh Kang aka Wei Xuegang and the UWSA.

The Wa declared itself opium free in 2005. But reports of the group manufacturing heroin and yaba have continued to this day.