Narco Taliban: Why Afghan meth is India’s big headache

Methamphetamine, an illegal stimulant that cuts down the need for sleep, is keeping not just its users awake. Drug enforcement authorities the world over are losing sleep over meth, which is fast displacing heroin. The meth trade’s epicentre is South Asia, with Afghanistan emerging as a huge s ource. This month the UN office on drugs and crime (UNODC) highlighted the surge in meth trafficking in Afghanistan, which was earlier a big source of heroin supply. No country is safe from this drug, which is pushed as a cheaper stimulant than cocaine.

India is on red alert to this danger. GOI has dubbed its exercise to target maritime trafficking of drugs originating in Afghanistanas Operation Samudragupt. In response to a Parliament question in March, it said that in 2018 it destroyed 4.2 kg of seized meth. By 2022, the number increased to 357 kg. This is only the tip of the iceberg. The problem’s source is Afghanistan’s descent into a narco-state, where illegal drugs have emerged as the single largest economic sector, according to the European Foundation for South Asian Studies. And Taliban provides “structural oversight”. In a desperately poor country, the presence of ephedra plants growing wildly provides a natural input for meth. UNODC estimated that the financial return for 1 kg of meth (50% purity) sourced from ephedra is $405.

State governments in India need to be alert to the dangers meth poses. With substantial youth unemployment (graduates under 25) and meth being pushed as a cheap stimulant in an economy that’s witnessing an expansion in purchasing power, risks are high. For drug enforcement, it’s akin to being on a treadmill. Illicit products and their supply chain keep constantly evolving. Eternal vigilance is the only answer.

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