The production and trafficking of drugs in Afghanistan have posed substantial challenges to Pakistan, which is bearing the brunt and facing a myriad of socio-economic and security issues.
The demand for Afghan drugs in Pakistan has grown drastically. This is due to their easy availability and relatively cheaper rates. This rise in drug trafficking is partly due to Pakistan’s role as a trans-shipment point for Afghan drugs, as well as the growing domestic demand within the country.
According to a United Nation Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) report, 45% opium produced in Afghanistan is shipped out across the world through Pakistan. Furthermore, the port of Karachi and Gwadar have proven to be a pivot in trafficking Afghanistan’s drugs across to the Eastern Africa and Europe via the Southern Route. Pakistan is also at the forefront to counter this influx of drugs into its territory
According to the recent article, “Drug overdose in Pakistan, a growing concern; A Review,” published in the International Journal of Surgery Global Health, approximately 7 million people consume drugs regularly in Pakistan. This includes 4 million cannabis user, and 2.7 million opiate users.
Shehryar Fazli, a consultant for the Global Initiative against Transnational Organized Crime, in research Paper “The Impact of Afghanistan’s Drug Trade on its Neighbours,” comprehensively explained the regional connectivity of narcotic trade hubs further highlighting the transnational nature of the issue and its impact on Pakistan’s drug consumption crisis.
The paper reveals that Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iran, meet at an area called South of Afghanistan, known as the Golden Crescent. This area, along with Southeast Asia’s Golden Triangle, constitutes one of Asia’s biggest drug trafficking hubs. The southern route for drug transportation runs from Afghanistan through Pakistan and Iran to reach marketplaces in Asia, Africa, and Europe.
There are five countries with the highest number of Drug Trafficking in the world, Myanmar, Colombia, Afghanistan, Mexico and Lebanon, listed in ascending order . Afghanistan, which is in 3rd position, accounts for 90% of the world’s illicit heroin production.
In an effort to address this problem, the Taliban imposed a ban on poppy cultivation, in 2022. However, the ban has not yielded promising results. The production of illicit drugs, especially methamphetamine, has surged in recent years. In point of fact, drug production ascended in 2022 despite the ban. According to United Nation Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), opium cultivation rose by 32% between 2021 and 2022 and most of the increase came in the Taliban strongholds of Helmand and Kandahar and the north-western Badghis province.
However, later in 2022, the Taliban began crackdown and by April 2023, after one year the ban was imposed, there was a dramatic reduction in poppy cultivation in Helmand and Nangarhar, two major poppy-producing provinces. Pakistan has also not abandoned its efforts to curb this menace. In last month of 2021 and the first month of 2022, approximately 1080 kg’s of illicit substances including Heroin, Hashish, Opium, and methamphetamine were seized at the Torkham crossing according to data shared by Pakistan Customs. In a very recent case, in May 2024,Pakistan Coast Guard seized 273 kilograms of methamphetamine after intercepting a boat in Balochistan. Similar cases have also been reported by the Pakistani authorities responsible for controlling drug trafficking from Afghanistan into Pakistan.
Methods used by trafficker to transport drugs into Pakistan include utilizing transport and logistics enterprises, which play a crucial role in cross-border drug trafficking between Pakistan and Afghanistan. Commercial vehicles carrying good worth billion pass through the Torkham and Chamman border crossings every day. Traffickers hide illicit substances in these commercials vehicles to avoid detection and confiscation by the authorities. Moreover, officers are often subjected to bribes and threats to allow illicit consignments to pass.
Women and children have tragically become important source to traffic drugs from Afghanistan to Pakistan. They undergo days of walking through treacherous and rocky mountains, carrying illicit drugs across the border. Disguised as locals, they often avoid body searches by authorities, increasing their chances of successful passage. The construction of a fence along the Pak-Afghan border, somehow reduced such trafficking methods. However, the fence has been breached by the people, which has allowed drug traffickers and other criminals to continue their cross-border activities with relative ease.
Some traffickers also use large sling shots to toss packages of illicit drugs across the Pak-Afghan border. It is a relatively safe and effective way to traffic drugs. Once the packages reach the other side, affiliates pick them up and rush towards their targeted places. In this way, traffickers provide little or no chance of interception to the authorities.
The production and trafficking of drugs in Afghanistan have posed substantial challenges to Pakistan, which is bearing the brunt and facing a myriad of socio-economic and security issues. As smuggling drugs from Afghanistan into Pakistan has become a crucial source of money for terrorist organizations in Pakistan.
The Tehrike-e-Taliban (TTP) has used drug trafficking to finance its terrorists’ activities. Similarly, the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), also have indulged itself in drug trade to finance its operations and activities. This illustrates how money from drug trade can be used to fuel violence and chaos across a country. Moreover, terrorist organisations with various ideologies are proliferating, promoting anti-Pakistan, anti- arm forces rhetoric and activities, sabotaging Pakistan’s stability by aligning with TTP and BLA in this regard.
The most important thing is to seriously contemplate this issue and put it on the table for high-level officials, ensuring it is thoroughly discussed by both sides. This is imperative because the socio-economic and security conditions of both Pakistan and Afghanistan are deeply interconnected and drug trafficking on both sides exacerbating the already deteriorated security situation. At this juncture, non-cooperative and non-collaborative behaviour is counterproductive and must be avoided.
Beyond security concerns, drug abuse has severely impacted the social lives of individuals across all age groups, including the young, middle-aged, and elderly. It adversely affects mental health, deteriorates overall well-being, and disrupts both personal and public life. The use of illicit drugs compromises health and behaviour. Notably, young people are particularly vulnerable to these effects.
Pakistan has federal and provincial departments dedicated to interdicting illicit drug trafficking. These include Pakistan Customs, the Anti-Narcotic Force (ANF), the Airport Security Force (ASF), the Pakistan Coast Guards, and various police departments etc. However, the government’s allocation of resources for narcotics control is insufficient.
According to the performance-based budget, the government spent nearly Rs. 4 billion on Narcotics Control Division (NCD) for the 2022-2023 fiscal year. This amount also covers the rehabilitation of drug addicts and the infrastructural expenditures of the departments, further reducing the actual funds available for interdiction efforts. The surging influx of illicit drugs in Pakistan necessitates that the government should re-consider its expenditure on narcotics control to effectively combat drug trafficking.
The porous border and complex geographical terrain between Pakistan and Afghanistan, which has always exacerbated the problem by facilitating the smuggling of illicit drugs and complicating efforts to curb the influx now must be resolved through comprehensive and coordinated efforts to ensure long-term stability and security.
