Madagascar
illicit producer of cannabis (cultivated and wild
varieties) used mostly for domestic consumption; transshipment point
for heroin
Malaysia
drug trafficking prosecuted vigorously and carries severe
penalties; heroin still primary drug of abuse, but synthetic drug
demand remains strong; continued ecstasy and methamphetamine
producer for domestic users and, to a lesser extent, the regional
drug market
Malta
minor transshipment point for hashish from North Africa to
Western Europe
Mauritius
consumer and transshipment point for heroin from South
Asia; small amounts of cannabis produced and consumed locally;
significant offshore financial industry creates potential for money
laundering, but corruption levels are relatively low and the
government appears generally to be committed to regulating its
banking industry
Mexico
major drug-producing nation; cultivation of opium poppy in
2007 rose to 6,900 hectares yielding a potential production of 18
metric tons of pure heroin, or 50 metric tons of "black tar" heroin,
the dominant form of Mexican heroin in the western United States;
marijuana cultivation increased to 8,900 hectares in 2007 and
yielded a potential production of 15,800 metric tons; government
conducts the largest independent illicit-crop eradication program in
the world; continues as the primary transshipment country for
US-bound cocaine from South America, with an estimated 90% of annual
cocaine movements toward the US stopping in Mexico; major drug
syndicates control the majority of drug trafficking throughout the
country; producer and distributor of ecstasy; significant
money-laundering center; major supplier of heroin and largest
foreign supplier of marijuana and methamphetamine to the US market
(2007)
Micronesia, Federated States of
major consumer of cannabis
Moldova
limited cultivation of opium poppy and cannabis, mostly for
CIS consumption; transshipment point for illicit drugs from
Southwest Asia via Central Asia to Russia, Western Europe, and
possibly the US; widespread crime and underground economic activity
Montserrat
transshipment point for South American narcotics destined
for the US and Europe
Morocco
one of the world's largest producers of illicit hashish;
shipments of hashish mostly directed to Western Europe; transit
point for cocaine from South America destined for Western Europe;
significant consumer of cannabis
Mozambique
southern African transit point for South Asian hashish
and heroin, and South American cocaine probably destined for the
European and South African markets; producer of cannabis (for local
consumption) and methaqualone (for export to South Africa);
corruption and poor regulatory capability makes the banking system
vulnerable to money laundering, but the lack of a well-developed
financial infrastructure limits the country's utility as a
money-laundering center