Pubdate: Sat, 17 Nov 2007 Source: Times of India, The (India) Copyright: Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd. 2007 Contact: http://www.timesofindia.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/453 Author: Pradeep Thakur Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/heroin.htm (Heroin) INDIA A MAJOR ROUTE FOR OPIUM TRADERS NEW DELHI - The United Nations has drawn attention of world leaders to an alarming increase in opium production in Afghanistan which has gone up by 34% to 8,200 tonnes this year in comparison to 2006. The illicit trade, estimated at $4 billion, is half the GDP of Afghanistan. The UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) has suggested governments to include major drug traffickers under the same list which has the Taliban and Al-Qaida. "The world community should add a dozen such traffickers names to the Security Council list, in order to ban their travel, seize their assets and facilitate their extradition," the UNODC said. For India, this is alarming as there has been a sudden spurt in trafficking of Afghan-origin heroin in the country in the last few years, mostly controlled by African nationals. Different drug enforcement agencies had seized around 1,000 kg of heroin in 2006 which was an all-time high leading to inclusion of its name in the list of countries identified as main drug transit sources. Antonio Maria Costa, executive director of UNODC, speaking at a function in Brussels, said insurgents and warlords controlled the business of producing and distributing drugs. Opium, in fact, has become an important source of foreign exchange earning for the Taliban. Reports by western security agencies suggested drug economy resources were being used to procure arms, logistics and for paying militia. The UN report also warned countries in the neighbourhood against the possibility of a proliferation of heroin labs given the major increase in supply of Afghan opium. Heroin labs are dependent on precursor chemicals like acetic anhydride which is found in abundance in India, though controlled, but availability in black market is not ruled out. The UN drug chief called for better regulation of precursor shipments to prevent their diversion. Seizures of Afghan origin heroin in India indicated favourite routes of traffickers which was Delhi, Chennai and Mumbai. The national Capital alone accounted for 20% of all heroin seizures. The international syndicates are believed to have used the terrorist network of Pakistan and leeper cells in India to smuggle the drug consignments. - --- MAP posted-by: Derek