Concerns Over Surge in Drug Trafficking After Taliban Regains Power: "84% of Global Opium Produced in Afghanistan"

Drug Trafficking Accounts for Over 10% of Afghanistan's GDP
Expansion of Drug Cultivation Expected Amid International Funding Cuts

[Image source=EPA Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] Afghanistan, known as the world's largest opium-producing region, is expected to see a surge in drug trafficking as economic hardship and chaos deepen following the Taliban's return to power. In particular, concerns are rising in China that large-scale smuggling of Afghan drugs through the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, which borders Afghanistan, could trigger social unrest.

On the 25th, Hong Kong's South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported that Chinese experts are worried that opium trafficking through the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region will intensify following the Taliban's return to power. Wang Jingguo, a professor at Lanzhou University and an expert on international affairs in China, warned in an interview with SCMP, "The Chinese government must focus on preventing the resurgence of drug trafficking trade between Afghanistan and the Xinjiang Uygur region," adding, "The trafficking of opium, methamphetamine, and philopon remains the Taliban's largest source of income."

The Taliban is known to have intensively cultivated poppies over the past five years and sold them overseas. According to the United Nations World Drug Report, Afghanistan accounted for 84% of the world's opium production last year, earning the notorious title of the world's largest opium producer. Most of this opium was reported to be made from poppies grown in Taliban-controlled areas. The Taliban reportedly increased poppy cultivation by 37% last year compared to the previous year to raise military funds.

The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) stated in its 2019 report that "the economic value of Afghanistan's export-related opium activities ranges from $1.1 billion to $2 billion (approximately 1.2 trillion to 2.3 trillion KRW), accounting for up to 11% of the country's gross domestic product (GDP)." The U.S. Department of Defense also estimated that the Taliban earned more than $460 million from opium last year alone, which was used for organizational rebuilding and war supplies.

These drugs are trafficked worldwide through China and Central Asia. According to a report by the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA) in November last year, Afghan opium, philopon, heroin, and other drugs are mainly smuggled into European countries via Turkey and have also been seized in countries such as Africa, Australia, Indonesia, and Sri Lanka. There are growing concerns that international sanctions and financial cutoffs against the Taliban will increase the economy's dependence on drug trafficking.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.