Afghanistan accounts for more than 90 percent of the worlds opium supply, and. On october 28, 2010, agents of russias federal service for the control of narcotics joined afghan and us antidrug forces in an operation to destroy a major drug production site near jalalabad. News about drug trafficking in afghani stan, including commentary and archival articles published in the new york times. Fight against trafficking from and to afghanistan with eco. In 2012, transparency international ranked afghanistan 174 out of 176 countries in its corruption perceptions index. News about drug trafficking in afghanistan, including commentary and archival articles published in the new york times. In an interview by email censored to the brazilian newspaper o tempo, later sent to me in full also by email, she stated that, the afghan narcotics economy is a designed project of.
This has a dramatic impact on the countries of the region around afghanistan which lie on the drug trafficking routes and are affected not only by the transit of drugs, especially those destined for europe, but also by the rising numbers of their own drug addicts. Drug trafficking and the 2014 transition kindle edition by liana rosen, kenneth katzman. Afghan opiate trafficking through the southern route. Afghanistans drug trafficking and northern neighbors afghanistan shares its border with iran, pakistan, china, tajikistan, turkmenistan, and uzbekistan. The transnational threat of afghan opium, unodc shows the devastating consequences that the 900 tons of opium and 375 tons of heroin that are trafficked from afghanistan every year have on the health and security of countries along the balkan and eurasian drug routes, of countries in europe, of china, india and the russian federation. Trafficking within afghanistan is more prevalent than transnational trafficking, and the majority of victims are children. The war in afghanistan brings drugs to pakistan the new. Panelists talked about opium production in afghanistan, the relation of drug trafficking to narcoterrorism, the development of programs to defeat trafficking, the role of u. Eliminating drug production in afghanistan is crucial to solving the impoverished states many other problems, the russian.
Since 2001, afghanistan has become synonymous with the term narcostate and the associated spread of crime and illegality. Considered the real power behind the sinaloa cartel by some, this 63 yearold veteran of the mexican drug trafficking world has been trafficking drugs since the early 80s. Field survey report international organization for migration. Penetrating every stage of afghan opium chain, taliban become a cartel. Though the afghan drug economy peaked in 2007 and 2008, cultivation. Resurgent afghanistan drug trade threatening us goals. International terrorism and drug trafficking from afghanistan addresses an issue that directly impacts the prospects for resolution of the current insurgency in that nation. Drug trafficking and the 2014 transition description this report describes key u. A drug warriors inside look at the war on afghanistans.
In 1980, there were only 50,000 drug users in pakistan. How the heroin trade explains the usuk failure in afghanistan. Warning sounded over vibrant drug trafficking in afghanistan february 07, 2014 21. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. All afghanistans warring factions are involved in the drug trade to some degree, but 96% of the opium crop is produced in areas controlled by the taliban, a movement of militant islamic students.
There have also been allegations of us and european involvement in afghanistans drug trafficking with links to taliban. Cia complicity in the global drug trade, afghanistan. Geographical realities, along with the close cultural and economic ties across borders in local areas, have created a situation in which afghanistan neighbors beset by drug trafficking on all. Based on recent production and trafficking trends, the drug problem in afghanistan appears to be worsening, the crs report. The book is very detailed and the investigating writing is heavily documented. This essay explores the interface of islamic militancy with opium poppy cultivation and the drug trade in the afghanistanpakistan region and draws implications for. International drug trafficking and terrorism asa hutchinson, dea administrator testimony before the senate judiciary committee subcommittee on technology, terrorism, and government information. At current levels, world heroin consumption 340 tons and seizures represent an annual flow of 430450 tons of heroin into the global heroin market. Afghan boys and girls are trafficked within the country and into iran, pakistan and india as well as persian gulf arab states for forced prostitution and forced labor in brick kilns, carpetmaking factories, 1 and. Pakistan, afghanistan work together to fight drug trafficking. The transnational threat of afghan opium, unodc shows the devastating consequences that the 900 tons of opium and 375 tons of heroin that are trafficked from afghanistan every year have on the health and security of countries along the balkan and eurasian drug routes, of countries in europe, of china, india and.
By vladimir plastun, professor at novosibirsk state universitys oriental studies department, d. The purpose of the combating human trafficking in afghanistan activity is to1 raise awareness of the problem, and 2 empower communities to take action and build the capacities within the government of afghanistan to implement and. Opium poppy cultivation and opiate production in afghanistan. Trafficking in human beings is a global problem, with an estimated 800,000 to 900,000 people trafficked across international borders each year and an untold many trafficked within their own countries. Afghanistans poppy fields now supply more than 90 percent of the worlds heroin, and authorities appear to be unable or, some suggest, unwilling to stop those behind the multibillion dollar trafficking industry. Drug trafficking from northern afghanistan and effect of. A nontraditional security threat 102 issra papers 2015 interest. Sky news alex crawford gained exclusive access to a drug production plant in afghanistan and the traffickers who are helping to supply the herion on britains streets. Most of the worlds legal opium is grown on the island of tasmania, south of australia.
Afghanistans opium production is through the roofwhy. A fter largely ignoring afghanistan for a decade, washington rediscovered the country in the aftermath of the 911 terrorist attacks. There was a compact division or separation between domestic and nondomestic issues. To battle drugtraffickers, argentina takes a risk and uses military growing imports and exports of cocaine have increased violence and drug abuse. Many of the worlds biggest drug traffickers are fine, upstanding citizens.
The drug problem in afghanistan is growing, and it threatens to undermine the us war effort of building a stable country there, top pentagon officials say in some of the sharpest warnings they. The cia continues trafficking drugs from afghanistan. Interest in drug trafficking in africa has typically focused on cocaine in west africa. Further information can be found in the yearly world drug report. Afghanistan struggles to fight daunting opium war al. The region is home to what many have labelled africas.
The nature of the threats and security discourses are often changing, and dynamic security pattern has disappeared from the state security and military designs. Nawa examines the effects of the opium trade on afghanistans people, in particular, the. Cultivation of the narcotic hit record highs last year, according to u. Afghanistans opium economy has unambiguous and serious harmful effects on. Afghanistan continues to be the worlds largest producer of opium. The book starts off as a real thriller by indulging into the drug trafficking that has been occurring out of afghanistan since the 1970s. It is not only the biggest threat with severe implications for social sector and good governance in both the countries but also to. Follis was tasked with leading the fight against drug trafficking in afghanistan in the years after 911.
Drug trafficking united nations office on drugs and crime. Drug trafficking in afghanistan the new york times. Half way through the book, the factoids and the story line gets repetitive. Afghanistans taliban and isis have the same funding model. The governments of afghanistan, pakistan, and iran are corrupted, drugs are passing borders in large quantity, the taliban are using the drugs as a main effort to finance their operations. Drug trafficking and its effects in united states crest. Afghanistan is a source, transit, and destination country for men, women, and children subjected to forced labour and sextrafficking. The revenues from the drug trade permeate all factions involved in the conflict. The world drug report has stated that pakistan is the main transit country for narcotics, heroin and opium in particular, produced in the neighbouring afghanistan. Financial flows linked to the production and trafficking of afghan. As explained by ahmed rashid, author of the books taliban and descent into chaos, in 1999, pakistan became virtually drugfree, as opium production shifted to afghanistan, now under the taliban regime. To fully dismantle drug trafficking organizations, the governments of afghanistan and myanmar should target the highest levels of organizations and all.
A drug warriors inside look at the war on afghanistans heroin trade a dea veteran recounts fighting the taliban and the cia while trying to bring down afghan drug kingpins. Columbian drug cartels use these submarines mostly for trafficking cocaine to the us. Sky news uncovers drug traffickers in afghanistan youtube. The drug trade is now imbedded in all parts of afghan politics, and maintains the corruption at very high levels. The drug trade is a crucial part of afghanistans economy. Drug trafficking from afghanistan to pakistan is a dilemma which has its roots in regional geo politics and cold war rivalries. Pakistan, afghanistan work together to fight drug trafficking february 07, 2015 file an afghan man prepares to set narcotics on fire on the outskirts of kabul, oct. Heroin is the most abused opiate worldwide, with 12 million users consuming an estimated 375 tons of pure heroin per year equal to 2,800 tons of opium. Unfortunately, afghanistan is confronted with a significant trafficking problem, which is deeply intertwined with the countrys other problems as it emerges from decades of. Written by noted terrorism expert frank shanty, the book explores the nature and the extent of involvement between international criminal drug traffickers. Its about drugs, says the former drug enforcement agency dea attache to afghanistan.
And there is very little the united states or other countries can do about the opiate production in afghanistan. Taliban control of heroin drug production trafficking in. Drug trafficking, a longstanding feature of afghanistans posttaliban political economy, is linked to corruption and insecurity, and provides a source of illicit finance for nonstate armed groups, says a new report from the congressional research service. Helmand, home to an estimated 80% of afghanistans opium poppies, is a big drug factory, a western official told afp earlier this year. Drug trafficking, like terrorism, is a devastating fallout for pakistan of the conflict in afghanistan. Although he was born in january, his nickname refers to the month of.
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