BURMA/THAILAND TUNGSTEN TRAFFIC

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP82-00457R004600320015-4
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: November 9, 2016
• Document Release Date: April 30, 1999
• Sequence Number: 15
• Publication Date: April 11, 1950
• Content Type: REPORT

NO. OF PAGES I
NO. OF ENCL..
(UST?t[a BCLOW)
SUPPLEMENT TO 25X1 X
REPORT NO.
Tungsten concentrates from two areas other than Papun are shipped into
Thailand to be sold.
Fluvial deposits and numerous narrow veins are mined at Zinba (14-38g 98-12)
nor the Thai border,, The concentrates are taken over the border near Prnya
Pass and floated down tho Kwe Noi River to Kanchanaburi and then to Bangkok.
Before the war the Zinba area produced from 60 to 100 tons of tungsten con-
centrates a year. such concentrates were either smuggled into Thailand or
sold in Burma depending on where a hither price could be obtained.
3:. Tunnrsten is also smuggled from the Mergui District into Thailand where it
is sold at Ban Saphan Yai< This tungsten comes from Nanyin, year the border
just north of Maw Daung pass? 1onthly production at these deposits, which
were discovered since the war, amount to about 5 tons of concentrates.,
CLA0,SSIFIC4T ION ONTROL U.S. OFFICIALS
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Document No. ___-_.._____-__
No Change In Class. ED
Declassified
Class. Chnnge:d To: TS S
Approved For Release 1999/09/09 :CIS-Pr8 2c=46003200A
CLASSIF1i,AMF1ULNT1Ar %Ly
Approved For Rele ?~' 9W6Ei~X08'1-0045716M06
INFORMATION REPORT ' CD NO..
.,0U NTRY Blxrria/x ha]. land
SUBJECT Burma/Thailand Tungsten Traffic
DATE OF
INFO. February 1950
n TATE
4? .Gout 300 tons of concentrates wore amugg;led from Burma into Thailand in
1949, The largest shipments came from the area southeast of Mawchi and were
routed through ;;:ae Saariamg o Since this area is near Thailand's chief tung-
sten deposits, smuggling is an easy matter,
Although the figure of 300 tons seems
inordinately highA the tonnage smuggled
into Thailand would probably increase should the Tenasserin coastal towns
be cut off as ports of shipment?
ic. - - -" Ya