Pubdate: Wed,  9 Jan 2002
Source: Pakistan Observer (Pakistan)
Copyright: Pakistan Observer 2002
Website: www.pakobserver.com
Contact:  G-8 Markaz, Islamabad Pakistan
Phone: 0092-51-2853818-9, 2852027-8
Fax: 0092-51-2262258
Author: W. Hussein

AFGHAN WAR RAVAGES RESULT IN POPPY GROWING

ISLAMABAD--Twenty-two years of constant war in Afghanistan destroyed its 
infrastructure, economy and institutions and as a result people started 
growing poppy to survive.

"Pakistan has been used as transit country and became victim of illicit 
opium and other drugs in the last few years."

"Pakistan and Iran are frontline States since they share a common border 
with Afghanistan, therefore it is important for both to continuously keep 
reviewing their joint strategies to prevent narcotics trafficking from 
Afghanistan".

Director General, Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) Major General Zafar Abbas 
expressed these views while speaking at a two-day Senior Law Enforcement 
Officers meeting SLECO of Iran and Pakistan here on Tuesday. He said UNDCP 
had played a vital role in galvanizing the law enforcement agencies of the 
two countries to deal with the drug menace. "The programmes undertaken by 
the organization enabled the experts to consider the exchange of relevant 
information on identifying of drug traffickers, trafficking routes, 
relevant cases and seizure of drugs," he added. The DG was of the opinion 
that with excellent relations between the two brotherly countries the 
project, "strengthening law enforcement capacities in the border award of 
south Asian region" with the assistance of UNDCP had been yielding positive 
results.

General Abbas said that hotline was working with the Iranian side to 
coordinate efforts to foil drug trafficking.

He said both the countries were working together in such efforts. He 
informed the meeting that on Tuesday the ANF had seized one ton morphine on 
the Pak-Iran border, which was being transported on camels from Afghanistan.

He hoped that with all these measures and projects this region will get rid 
of the stigma of being used as a major conduit for foreign drug products. 
Speaking on the occasion leader of the Iranian delegation Brig General 
Mehdi Abouei said that his country attaches great importance to the 
bilateral cooperation for eradicating drug smuggling in the region and 
there was a need for more effective steps for law enforcement to check the 
menace.

He said they appreciate UNDCP for cooperation between the two countries and 
called for expanding this cooperation.

He called upon European countries to extend a helping hand so that the 
international community jointly works to curb the evil of drug smuggling. 
He stressed that both Pakistan and Iran should prevent production of drugs 
by implementing the crop substitution efforts in Afghanistan and said Iran 
has invested sufficient amount in this regard. In his remark the UNDCP 
Representative Richard said that both Iran and Pakistan had made efforts to 
curb the menace and at the same time suffered tremendously.

He informed the meeting that the UNDCP was working to create an 
intelligence network with better communication in remote areas of 
Balochistan and has trained some 430 personnel.

"Poppy production in Afghanistan has reemerged and the UNDCP was working on 
an Alternative Package for Afghan farmers who grew poppy," he added.
- ---
MAP posted-by: Beth