Afghanistan Taliban’s Billion Dollar Heroin Trade and the Africa Heroin Hub
Ever wonder how the Taliban, which, in news reports resembles a ragtag band of tribal desert and cave dwellers, finances terrorism and obtains weapons to fight U.S. and NATO troops? According to a news report out of Kenya, the Taliban earns billions in the opium trade with some drug barons in the Afghan government raking in billions more. Literally tons of the Afghan heroin from the poppy trade winds up in Africa, a “heroin processing hub into hard drugs” with, according to the UN, “30 to 35 metric tons” each year landing in East Africa.
The proceeds from the drugs are used to finance terrorism activities in Northern Africa and some other sub-Saharan states. It is also suspected that the illicit drug trade supports the unending conflict in neighbouring Somalia.
In 2004, a heroin haul-1.1 ton-worth $13 billion was seized in Kenya. Since 2003, Afghan opium production is up 239%. The Taliban runs a $100 million per year protection racket. According to the UN, the “potential” export value of the heroin is in the $3.4 billion range.
According to a 2007 U.K. Independent article, Russian gangsters in the U.K. are running an Afghan drugs for U.K. guns program:
Russian gangsters who smuggle drugs into Britain are buying cheap heroin from Afghanistan and paying for it with guns. Smugglers told The Independent how Russian arms dealers meet Taliban drug lords at a bazaar near the old Afghan-Soviet border, deep in Tajikistan’s desert. The bazaar exists solely to trade Afghan drugs for Russian guns – and sometimes a bit of sex on the side.
The drugs are destined for Britain’s streets. The guns go straight to the Taliban front line. The weapons on sale include machine guns, sniper rifles and anti-aircraft weapons like the ones used in the attempt to assassinate the Afghan President Hamid Karzai last weekend.
“We never sell the drugs for money,” boasted one of the smugglers. “We exchange them for ammunition and Kalashnikovs.”
Another source of Taliban weapons, Iran, whom the U.S. in 2007 complained weapons bought by Iran were ending up in Afghanistan in the hands of the Taliban:
U.S. Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte says Washington has complained to Beijing about Chinese weapons shipments to Iran that appear to be turning up in the hands of Taliban fighters in Afghanistan.
Negroponte confirmed the U.S. concerns over China’s weapons deals with Tehran after a 10-ton weapons cache was discovered in the western Afghan province of Herat.
The cache found in Ghurian district, near the border with Iran, included artillery shells, land mines, and rocket-propelled grenade launchers with Chinese, Russian, and Persian markings on them.
Britain’s Foreign Office has also confirmed that it has complained to Beijing about Chinese-made HN-5 antiaircraft missiles confiscated from Taliban fighters who were captured or killed by British Royal Marines in Helmand Province. Beijing has said that it would investigate allegations that the weapons were forwarded to the Taliban through Iran.
Kenya bearing the brunt of poison from Osama’s land
Before the US got involved in Afghanistan, the Taliban had, according to news reports from that time, basically eliminated all the poppy fields. The Taliban stopped the growing of these plants. After the US replaced the Afghan Government with someone of their choice, now the poppies are growing more than ever. Why does this Government lie about the real reasons they are there?
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Hmmm. Who originally trained the Taliban? Oh, that’s right – the CIA did. Huh – here’s a mystery: IF the Taliban are ISLAMIC, -why would they deal in narcotics like opium when Islam is so anti-drug that even drinking Coffee is controversial (& alcohol is NOT even considered)!
According to the Article, 2003 was the year that production topped 200% up, -and the 2002 growing season represents year #1 of US occupation after 9/11. It looks self-evident that Afgan opium is being protected by somebody OTHER than the “Taliban” (the best enemies money can buy).
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