You may be confusing the metric of convictions with the metric of activity (proxy for deterrence) The way it works in the USA for example, is if the punishment

You may be confusing the metric of convictions with the metric of activity (proxy for deterrence) The way it works in the USA for example, is if the punishment for cocaine dealing is draconian, for white people it'll be plea bargained down to time served and some probation for a small possession charge, but black people will get convicted and go to prison on a full trafficking and conspiracy charge, so the metric you're actually measuring is the racial ratio of coke dealers caught by the cops. Likewise what you're likely really measuring in the Asian countries is the ratio of border guards and cops who can be bought off and stay bought off. There may be some occasional extremely aggressive bribe negotiation situations, or a much disliked or distrusted courier is ratted out by his own guys (or an opposing group?). Another metric that's actually being measured is the local technologies and ratios of shipments; its quite possible that things in the USA are extremely personal with trunks full of stuff in personally owned vehicles but in Asia anonymous shipping containers in government owned and operated ports that don't legally exist are the primary source or maybe something even sneakier.