Will Afghan heroin spread more worldwide? What are the side effects of blocking the Taliban’s funds?

Concerns have been raised that drug production could further increase in the future in Afghanistan, which has been re-occupied by the Islamic militant group, the Taliban. This means that the possibility that the Taliban will effectively abet the drug trade to finance its rule cannot be ruled out as funds are blocked due to the cessation of aid from the international community.

Al Jazeera, an Arab media, reported on the 24th (local time) that more drugs may be supplied to the international community as the Taliban take control of Afghanistan, the world’s largest opium (heroin) producer. Earlier, Taliban spokeswoman Zabihullah Mujahid said on the 17th that “there will be no drug production or trade in the future, and Afghanistan will become a drug-free country”, but the reaction of experts is generally skeptical.

The problem is that the Taliban’s promises are not sustainable. This means that the Taliban, which has provided most of the organization’s operating funds with profits from drug production and trade, can give up on it overnight. Some predict that the Taliban will strengthen its drug control to some extent in order to be recognized as a ‘normal state’ in the international community, but the prevailing view is that it will be difficult to completely eradicate a key source of income.

In fact, opium cultivation in Afghanistan is creating about 120,000 jobs. It is the country’s largest source of employment. In a 2019 report by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), “Afghanistan’s exports of opium-related economic activity are valued at up to $2 billion, or 11% of Afghanistan’s gross domestic product (GDP).” it has been revealed

David Mansfield, chief researcher at the Overseas Development Institute, who wrote books on opium in Afghanistan, said, “In the meantime, most of the opium and methamphetamine producing regions have been under the tacit control of the Taliban. may lead to concerns,” he said. If Afghanistan’s national economy is in crisis due to wide-ranging international sanctions, the economic dependence on drug trafficking may increase.

According to the BBC, Afghan heroin accounts for 95% of the European drug market. Al Jazeera said, “Afghanistan supplies 80% of the world’s opium, and Afghan heroin is smuggled into Europe via Turkey and other countries. ‘ he warned.

Esther Intern Reporter