Afghanistan Switching from Opium Production to Refined Herion.

**The Afghani people have a long history of Opium production, and are generally credited with supplying around 85% of the World Opium. Historically they have produced the Opium, and it is later converted to Morphine and Heroin, in other countries. **

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**For decades the harvest has been smuggled across the border as Opium or Opium Syrups. Now it is estimated that at least half is being processed into Morphine or Heroin, and then smuggled into other countries. **

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**Simple labs in huts and caves, use barrels for mixing, and precursor chemicals, press machines, water and firewood as a fuel, are all that is required to process the Opium into Heroin. The processing makes for smaller loads to be smuggled, and increased profits for the various producers, who include local people, the Taliban, and other war lord lead groups. **

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**Drug profits are often turned into weapon purchases, and are keeping the decades long wars continuing. It is estimated to be a 3 Billion Dollar a year industry in Afghanistan, around 20% of the Gross Domestic Product. By processing a greater share of the 60 Billion a year Heroin trade is returned to Afghanistan. Demand is high in most western countries, topped by the USA and Europe. **

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**Of course and despite the size of the problem in Afghanistan, very little is done to eradicate the drugs at the source. It has long been speculated that the USA also profits from the sale, and uses the money to buy arms beyond the budget. US Special forces are usually ordered to turn a blind eye, and many become end users. **

**The Afghan deputy minister of counter narcotics, has a small unit that is trying to stop the manufacture, and he says the money is funding the Taliban. **

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Free use photographs from google.

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