The Horrific Dominance Of Asian Drug Routes
Afghanistan again tops the list of worldwide opium market because of the marked increase in opium poppy cultivation and a gradual increase in opium poppy yields which in result raised the country’s opium production to 87 per cent from the past years. As per a report, the worldwide cultivation increased by 37 per cent from 2016 to 2017, and 75 per cent of that area is in Afghanistan. There is a high amount of illicit drug cultivation in Afghanistan and they are trafficked to the rest of the world. The cultivation of drugs in Afghan is not only a threat to the dwellers of the country but also for its neighbouring countries like Pakistan and Iran.
The relentless impacts of illicit drug cultivation can be seen in the region as it is impacting the social and economic development of the country. The region has contributed a consequent rise in the opium cultivation and trafficking. As per the researchers, Afghanistan is the world’s largest producer of hashish and Myanmar is the second largest producer of opium after Afghanistan
According to a report by CNN, “Afghanistan produces 90 per cent of the world’s opium and the ingredients of these toxic substances are very poor in quality and are excessively cheap.” People in the country are not able to figure out a way of quitting it because they are fenced in the web of drug abuse. Children of age as less than 2 are also addicted to the venom of drugs. There are multiple reports indicating and questioning the quality of the drug as it is proved to be deplorable and pathetic.
Golden Crescent is the name coined to the two significant areas of opium cultivation expanding over the areas of Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Iran. The world is facing tremendous threat because of the excessive rise in drug markets, cultivation, and trafficking of poisons like opium and cocaine. It uses the famous Balkan Route to transport drugs in the different parts of the country. As per a report, India is believed to be the main destination market for Afghan heroin smuggled along the southern route to South Asia. It is not a modern-day opium production centre, but it is dominating the world from more than 70 years.
It follows a monopolistic market which is involved in the drug supply chain because of the poverty and lack of opportunities. More than one million people are involved in this circle of poison-trafficking. The problem doesn’t limit here, there has been a substantial increase in blood-borne diseases like HIV, hepatitis B virus (HBV), and hepatitis C virus (HCV) in these regions because of the use of contaminated and infectious syringes used for injecting the drugs in their body.
Golden Triangle is another area after Golden Crescent infamous for the production of illicit drugs which extends over Southeast Asia. It is believed to be the modern-day opium producing area. Myanmar is the second largest producer of opium after Afghanistan. The drug dealers are expanding and diversifying their markets in Southeast Asia. The drugs cultivated in these regions are transported along the Thailand–Burma border for conversion to +heroin and heroin base. After the conversion of these drugs, they are then carried forward to international markets for sale. Drug poisoning deaths are the leading cause of injury and death there, and synthetic opioids are the "most lethal" contributor, a report said.
