Taliban crackdown causes 80% drop in Afghan opium cultivation

Armed with AK-47 assault rifles and huge sticks, a Taliban anti-narcotics unit in Afghanistan’s japanese Nangarhar province is on a mission to eradicate poppy farming. In April 2022, Taliban supreme chief Haibatullah Akhundzada issued a decree prohibiting poppy cultivation, with violators dealing with crop destruction and penalties beneath Sharia legislation. Child’s play was imposed as a end result of dangerous results of opium and its battle with the Taliban’s religious beliefs.
Afghanistan previously produced over 80% of the world’s opium, with heroin made from Afghan opium accounting for 95% of the European market. The BBC travelled to Afghanistan and used satellite tv for pc evaluation to research the ban’s impact on opium poppy cultivation. The findings indicate a big reduction in poppy development in major opium-growing provinces, with some specialists estimating an 80% lower in annual cultivation compared to the previous 12 months..