Podcast
The Underworld Podcast
The book was repeatedly highlighted as a valuable source on the secret army and Asian drug cartels, with hosts praising the author's deep investigative reporting and adventurous field work. Sean Williams noted that the author really got into the secret army, while Danny Golds and Josh Berlinger both urged listeners to pick it up for its detailed coverage of the United Wa State Army and the origins of the Bamboo Union. The consensus was that it offered compelling, hard‑to‑find information and was highly recommended for anyone interested in the region.
Episode: Kokang Cowboys: Burma’s Transgender Narco Royalty,...
Narcotopia was recommended, with the speaker stating that Patrick Wynn really gets into the secret army, making it a book worth buying.
And Narco-Topia, our buddy Patrick Wynn. We talked about this but he really gets into this so definitely buy his book.
Episode: The Bamboo Union Triads, Taiwan's White Wolf Godfa...
The book provides additional information about the beginnings of the Bamboo Union. The gang started because a group of Chinese exiles were attacked and extorted by local gangs and they grouped together to form the gang, named after the bamboo that surrounded their village.
Martin Perlbeck brilliant Asian prime century sub-stech here for more some more info about the gang's beginnings quote one group of Chinese exiles residing at Wing War village on the outskirts of Taipei were repeatedly attacked and extorted by established local gangs.
And so they grouped together to form the chukluan bong literally translated as bamboo united gang with the name derived from the bamboo grows that surrounded wing war village.
Episode: The Headhunting Burmese Tribe Running the World's...
It's a new book by Patrick Nguyen, detailing his investigation into the United Wa State Army and the Asian drug cartel that he says survived the CIA.
Definitely pick that up and pick up his new one that we're going to talk about today. He's going to tell that story. It's called Narcotopia, in search of the Asian drug cartel that survived the CIA.
And it's like proper adventure journalist stuff. Like he's in the hinterlands, in the middle of nowhere, doing stuff that I think journalists don't really do anymore.
He spent years investigating the United Wah State Army, which some call the most powerful drug trafficking organization on earth.
And according to Patrick's book, they're sold in higher volumes than Big Macs, which yeah, that's a lot of meth.
I know you're going to hate that I bring this up, but my first introduction to the Wah was when I was preparing to go to Burma for the first time in 2013.
Episode: The Kingpin Behind Asia's Triad Super-Syndicate Ca...
It was highly recommended as a book that further details the Wah, a rebel group in the region of Burma, and their involvement in the drug trade.
And for, sorry just for anyone looking to understand more about the region, Patrick Nguyen's book is great. I highly recommend it.
Yeah, yeah, yeah. He's a new one coming out, Narcotopia I think about the WAH itself.