A report by Princeton University’s “World Politics” journal highlighted that the price of one kilogram of Afghanistan heroin in the UK has doubled from $15,000 to $30,000.
The journal noted that large quantities of opium are currently being stockpiled in Afghanistan.
Despite the Taliban’s ban on poppy cultivation, the trade and smuggling of drugs in Afghanistan continue to supply European markets.
Senior researchers Philip Berry and David Mansfield wrote in World Politics Review that large drug reserves and ongoing trade in Afghanistan are keeping European markets well-stocked, with no shortage of heroin observed.
Philip Berry, a visiting researcher at King’s College London, and David Mansfield, a senior drug policy researcher, emphasized that there is insufficient evidence to suggest the Taliban has effectively curbed drug trafficking and trade.
The researchers stated that drug buying and selling within Afghanistan is ongoing.
According to their research, despite the Taliban’s ban on drug cultivation and production, the price of drugs has dropped by nearly 50%, indicating significant stockpiles in Afghanistan.
The main reason Europe hasn’t experienced a heroin shortage, according to the researchers, is the large amount of opium still stored within Afghanistan.
Their research, based on satellite images, suggests that farmers in southwest Afghanistan may have stored around 16,500 metric tons of opium before 2022.
Two years ago, many observers doubted the Taliban’s commitment to enforcing the drug ban due to their long-term revenues from drug cultivation, production, and smuggling.
The researchers warn that a potential heroin shortage in Europe could lead to the influx of highly potent synthetic drugs to fill the gap, as seen in the U.S. and Canada, where synthetic drugs have caused a major crisis.
They stated that while European governments monitor the heroin supply from Afghanistan, they are also focusing on combating synthetic drugs.
Afghanistan has long been the world’s largest opium producer, supplying nearly all the heroin consumed in Europe. Despite the Taliban’s drug ban and a significant reduction in poppy cultivation, large opium reserves in Afghanistan continue to sustain the European heroin market.
The situation raises concerns about future drug shortages and the potential rise of synthetic drugs, posing new challenges for global drug policy enforcement.
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