UNITED NATIONS: In a startling revelation, the United Nations’ Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) disclosed that Afghanistan has rapidly risen to become the world’s foremost manufacturer of methamphetamine. This alarming development comes as a surprise, given the Taliban’s declaration of war against narcotics upon their return to power in August 2021.
Afghanistan’s growing prominence in the global meth trade presents not only a threat to national and regional health but also to security, as it could potentially disrupt the synthetic drug market and exacerbate addiction issues. The UNODC report underscores the scale of this looming crisis and its potential repercussions.
According to the report, methamphetamine production in Afghanistan primarily relies on legally available substances or the extraction of ephedrine from the wild-growing ephedra plant, which is abundant in the country. The ease with which meth can be manufactured in Afghanistan, coupled with the widespread availability of the ephedra plant, offers distinct advantages over the production of drugs like heroin or cocaine. Unlike narcotics that require time-consuming cultivation, meth labs are highly mobile and can remain hidden, making detection and eradication efforts challenging.
The report reveals a startling surge in methamphetamine production within Afghanistan. Annual seizures of methamphetamine within the country increased exponentially from less than 100 kilograms (220 pounds) in 2019 to nearly 2,700 kilograms (6,000 pounds) in 2021. While this indicates a significant uptick in production, the UNODC couldn’t ascertain the precise value of Afghanistan’s meth supply, the quantities being produced, or the extent of domestic usage due to a lack of available data.
Angela Me, the chief of the UNODC’s Research and Trend Analysis Branch, commented on the factors contributing to Afghanistan’s rapid ascent in the meth trade. She noted You don’t need to wait for something to grow. You don’t need land. You just need the cooks and the know-how. Meth labs are mobile, they’re hidden. Afghanistan also has the ephedra plant, which is not found in the biggest meth-producing countries: Myanmar and Mexico. It’s legal in Afghanistan and it grows everywhere. But you need a lot of it.
Despite the Taliban’s ostensible commitment to combating the drug trade, it remains uncertain how effective their efforts have been in curbing methamphetamine production. Abdul Mateen Qani, a spokesperson for the Interior Ministry, stated that the Taliban government has banned the cultivation, production, sale, and use of all intoxicants and narcotics in Afghanistan. Authorities claim to have demolished 644 drug factories and eradicated approximately 12,000 acres of land where prohibited narcotics were cultivated, processed, or produced. Over 5,000 raids have resulted in the arrest of 6,000 individuals. However, Qani acknowledged the challenges, saying, “We cannot claim 100% that it is finished because people can still do these activities in secret. It is not possible to bring it to zero in such a short time. But we have a four-year strategic plan that narcotics in general and meth in particular will be finished.”
In a related report published by the UN in November, it was revealed that opium cultivation in Afghanistan surged by 32% following the Taliban takeover, despite authorities’ announcement of a cultivation ban in April 2022. The ban led to a spike in opium prices, with farmers’ income from opium sales tripling from $425 million in 2021 to $1.4 billion in 2022. The illicit drug market has thrived amid Afghanistan’s economic decline, driven by a sharp contraction in the wake of international financing drying up, resulting in widespread poverty, hunger, and addiction.
These grim circumstances have left Afghans grappling with drought, severe economic hardship, and the enduring consequences of decades of war and natural disasters. An anonymous Afghan health official revealed that approximately 20,000 people are currently hospitalized for drug addiction, primarily to crystal meth. Disturbingly, this includes 350 women, with children also requiring treatment, although specific numbers and ages were not disclosed.
