Afghanistan/Pakistan/Iran. Opiate supplies continue despite the Taliban drugs ban

Afghanistan/Pakistan/Iran. Opiate supplies continue despite the Taliban drugs ban

While many argue that a shift into synthetic opioids downstream in Europe is a function of a shortage of opium in Afghanistan caused by the Taliban drugs ban, opium prices in Afghanistan have been falling since their peak in December 2023: a function of substantial inventories in southwest Afghanistan, continued widespread cultivation in Badakhshan, improved processing techniques, and the dramatic rise in poppy cultivation in Pakistan and to a lesser extent Iran in 2025. (David Mansfield in Alcis (UK), 17.06.2025, aktualisiert am 30.06.2025)

https://www.alcis.org/post/opiate-supplies-continue-despite-the-taliban-drugs-ban