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1994-05-02
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<text>
<title>
Afghanistan, USSR, Western Europe Drug Trafficking
</title>
<article>
<hdr>
Joint Publications Research Service, April 5, 1991
Law and Order: Afghanistan-USSR-West Europe Drug Trafficking
Conduit Examined
</hdr>
<body>
<p>By P. Timofeyev--our special correspondent, Kabul-Moscow:
"Containers With a Double Bottom" [Moscow, Sovetskaya Rossiya in
Russian, 20 Mar 91, First edition, p. 5].
</p>
<p> I very much wanted to go on this excursion through Kabul. To
receive permission for it proved to be not a simple matter, but,
finally, all formalities were arranged. We left close to
evening. A state security officer was my "guide". The purpose of
the trip was to visit the city districts where drugs were pushed
and to where they were brought from all Afghanistan and
neighboring Pakistan.
</p>
<p> The Shakhri Nau District. There are small shops in one-and
two-story buildings on both sides of the road. Literally
everything is on sale: from Soviet electric teapots to
"Mercedes" and Japanese television sets of the latest models.
The sidewalks almost cleared of snow are filled with people.
The work day has ended, everyone rushes home. Everywhere there
are stands and carts with vegetables, fruits, almonds,
pistachio nuts, raisins, and other Eastern delicacies.
</p>
<p> It is unbelievable, but any drugs can be bought in almost
every small shop and from every street dealer here. People say
that a few years ago this could be done fully in the open. Now
it is more complicated, nothing will be sold in the usual
manner to a stranger, especially if he is European. At least
one permanent customer must vouch for you. The person
accompanying me does not permit me to conduct an experiment. It
is not recommended that a person stop here and, especially, get
out of the car.
</p>
<p> We drove on. About 15 minutes later we are on the direct
highway stretched along a river bed, which is dry at this time.
The foot of the mountains is several meters to the right. The
houses, which stick to them like honeycombs of bees, rise high
up. Here, I am told, are the big shots. This is not a place for
small street dealers, but the export market of "white death."
Many such seemingly wretched houses--small sheds--have
large wholesale warehouses, laboratories with the latest
Western equipment, telexes, and telefaxes, which provide Afghan
drug mafiosi with instantaneous communications with the whole
world.
</p>
<p> Passers-by on the street are much fewer. The rare ones,
which we have encountered, follow our car with attentive
glances. We are just as watchfully observed from many windows.
Round-the-clock security is organized professionally. It is
virtually impossible to sneak up to a warehouse or a laboratory
unnoticed. This district has such a bad reputation that
foreigners drive a whole block to detour it and the people of
Kabul, who are not connected with drug pushing, do not risk
appearing here when it gets dark.
</p>
<p> Narcotic substances were probably grown and produced in
Afghanistan always. Both the climate and, above all, national
traditions, contributed to this. From time immemorial it was
believed that the person who ate a cookie sprinkled with opium
poppy would be vigorous and fresh for 1 and 1/2 days.
</p>
<p> Virtually all grown narcotic substances were consumed on the
domestic market. A significant increase in consumption and
production was not observed. However, as of 1978, when together
with the revolution a war came to the country, not ending until
now, the situation has changed. The production of drugs has
increased rapidly. A number of international factors have also
had an effect on this: for example, such as the toughening of
the fight against this evil in Latin America and in the
countries of "the golden triangle" and the introduction of
capital punishment for pushers of "white death" in Iran and
Pakistan. The recent crises in the Persian Gulf has also played
into the hands of Afghan drug dealers. The established drug
trafficking channels to North America and Europe have been cut
off. All this has brought the drug problem in Afghanistan to a
totally different level.
</p>
<p> In a short period the country has become one of the first
places in drug production in the world. According to the data of
UN experts, from 800 to 1,000 tons of narcotic substances will
be produced in Afghanistan during the current year alone. In
consumer countries in the last 5 years the demand for strong-
acting preparations has increased very rapidly--on the
average, by 14 to 16 percent. The toughening of customs rules
and legislation and the growing demand force dealers to process
raw materials locally. In Afghanistan laboratories are growing
like mushrooms. Today only those that are known in this country
number about 50. The heroin produced in them is of the purest
degree.
</p>
<p> Virtually all plantations and most laboratories are located
on the territory controlled by the opposition. For field
commanders drug pushing has become the main occupation. The old
slogans about the holy "jihad" and about the fight against the
Kabul Government until the triumphant end now serve rather as a
cover. Reports of disagreements in the ranks of the opposition
and on armed clashes among individual detachments, as a rule,
reflect precisely the fight for plantations and sales channels.
</p>
<p> As I was told in Afghanistan's Ministry of State Security,
the recent murder of Mulla Nasim, a prominent field commander,
no matter with what political colors it was painted, was
directly connected with drugs. Mulla Nasim controlled 20 percent
of their production. He was not forgiven for the fact that he
took 2 million dollars from the Americans, promising to
distribute them to peasants so that they would stop growing hemp
and poppy. In brief, the money did not reach them to whom it was
intended, but remained in the pockets of the ringleader and his
closest assistants. However, the sentence had already been
pronounced. The people of Gulbbeddin Khekmatiar took away Mulla
Nasim. His four brothers took over the business. They claimed
that they knew nothing about the 2 million.
</p>
<p> In the end, the result was the opposite: having heard about
his money, other provinces sharply increased the number of
plantations, apparently in the hopes that the Americans would
also offer something to other ringleaders...
</p>
<p> Even without coming on these "compensatory" millions,
production will most probably continue to grow rapidly. The
mujahidin, receiving such a fantastic income, can no longer
stop. From ordinary producers 1 kg of opium is bought for
approximately 28.000 Afghanis. At the black market rate this is
about 30 dollars. Second-hand dealers sell 1 kg for 270.000
afghanis--350 dollars. On West European markets this opium
costs 350,000 to 400,000 dollars. And in North America, even
more. Prices are rising constantly.
</p>
<p> The profit earned from "white death" is deposited in foreign
accounts of opposition leaders, or goes for the purchase of
arms not for the "fight against the infidels in Kabul" but, in
fact, for the protection of laboratories and plantations
against competitors.
</p>
<p> "Contrary to ideas existing in some Western countries, the
Government of Afghanistan and law enforcement services see the
entire danger of the situation and do not sit with arms
folded." Mohammad Farin, the republic's deputy minister of
state security, said in a conversation with me. "Last year
bodies of the Ministry of State Security alone destroyed
narcotic crops on more than 90 hectares. A total of 5.5 tons of
ready hashish and more than 300 kg of opium were removed and
destroyed. And this despite the fact that we have no access to
most regions where plantations are located. An emergency
commission for fighting against this evil headed by the
vice-president was established in the republic. The parliament
is now considering a new law, which significantly toughens
punishments for all crimes connected with drugs."
</p>
<p> Acco