With Taliban’s return, Afghan, global drug trade surges

[Northwest]

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The return of the Taliban (an organization banned in the Russian Federation) to power in Kabul contributed to the flourishing of the drug business in Afghanistan. Colonel Nezamuddin BAHAVI , the former head of intelligence of the anti-drug police of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Afghanistan, stated...

“Today, the Afghan drug business is doing very, very well. After the Taliban came to power in August 2021, the situation turned in his favor. ... Until August 2021, criminals associated with the drug business were afraid of us, the anti-drug service of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Afghanistan. The Afghan and regional drug mafia, with the actual support of the Taliban, is gaining strength. The areas of drug crops have increased, drug production is growing.” ...

“...the release from prisons of almost all drug traffickers previously convicted by the authorities of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan (IRA). ...they were released by the Taliban from prisons. ...almost all of them, having left the places of detention, immediately organized new drug production facilities and are now very successfully running a criminal business throughout almost all of Afghanistan.”

- The Taliban do not even try to fight the drug business?

- Really not, although they periodically try to imitate such a struggle for the international public. For example, they banned the open small retail sale of drugs on the streets. But such demonstration campaigns are not organized to stop drug production. It's just a way to increase the price of a product.”

- So the Taliban regulate drug prices through the appearance of prohibitions?

- That's right, they manage prices under the slogan of the fight against the drug business.

Does Afghan heroin also end up in Africa?

- Of course, and for a long time, and not only heroin, but also methamphetamine. By the way, with the coming to power of the Taliban in Kabul and other Afghan cities, very curious representatives of the international drug business appeared, for example, Nigerians. These are representatives of large African drug buyers who come to Afghanistan to personally select the goods, make sure of its quality and control the shipment. ... Of course, all this is known to the Taliban, who in no way interfere with the expansion and strengthening of international ties of the Afghan drug mafia.

“There is no control by the Taliban authorities. Moreover, not only do they not even want to imitate it, but they themselves ensure the safety of transporting drugs abroad. Promises by Taliban leaders to fight drugs are nonsense. ... It's no secret that the secret services of some countries, thanks to the money received from the sale of drugs, financed the same Taliban, whose militants fought against us, the Afghan security forces, against the drug police. And we, with our minimal technical and financial capabilities, seized tons of drugs. ...

It is no secret that influential figures in Afghan politics and the system of government were involved in the drug trade. We detained several generals, senior officers with the rank of colonel. They were both policemen and army men, even one general from the National Security Administration (UNB) was arrested.“

...in 2018, in the Achin district of Nangarhar province, the Taliban suddenly began to actively fight against the militants of the “Islamic State” (ISIS, banned in the Russian Federation) that appeared here. This was due not to some lofty political goals, but to the same drug business: Achin is one of the main centers for the production of heroin in Afghanistan. The Taliban and ISIS commanders were simply fighting over heroin revenues. Then, by the way, the Taliban lost a significant share of drug profits.

And it is clear that the trans-regional drug mafia will never allow the same Taliban to seriously fight the drug business, even if the Taliban themselves suddenly wanted it.

The Taliban are simply playing with Russia, in fact focusing on Pakistan, and through it - on cooperation with the US and Great Britain. This is the area of international relations that the Taliban are really interested in.

(Via Google Translate – originally in Russian)

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Edited October 25, 2022 by Northwest