Over 200 tonnes of heroin smuggled via Pakistan a year, say customs officials

Islamabad, July 6 (ANI): Anti-drug smuggling agencies in Pakistan seize only a small fraction of the heroin smuggled from Afghanistan and pass on to the global market, custom officials in Pakistan have revealed.

A Pakistani customs official, Habib Ahmed, speaking on the sidelines of an international conference, titled "Control drugs - control crimes", organised by Pakistan Customs, claimed that over 210 and 240 tonnes of heroin was smuggled from Afghanistan and reached the global market after passing through Pakistan last year.

He said, even the global figures of heroin seizures were not very encouraging, and added that out of every 500 tonnes produced, 58 tonnes (11 per cent) were seized in 2009.

Acccording to Dawn.com, he said that while consolidated figures for seizures of heroin in Pakistan were not readily available with him, the total figure was well below one tonne.

Regarding heroin production, Ahmed pointed out that 6,000 tonnes of opium, which was over 90 per cent of the global produce last year, was grown in Afghanistan, while 610 tonnes of opium was produced in Myanmar, 25 tonnes in Laos, 10 tonnes in Mexico and nine tonnes in Colombia.

He said that over 85 per cent of the heroin produced in Afghanistan was grown in the provinces, Hilmand at 66 per cent, Kandahar at nine per cent, Farah at 10 per cent, while Pakistan was primarily a transit country for opiates / heroin produced in the former country.

Ahmed also revealed that heroin produced in Afghanistan took four routes to reach global markets, some 25 per cent of the product of nearly 150 tonnes, was smuggled through a northern route to reach Russia after passing through Central Asian republics to cater to 1.8 million addicts.

Between 35 and 40 per cent of the heroin, of around 210 and 240 tonnes, was smuggled through Pakistan to reach the global markets, ranging from the Americas to Australia, Africa to Europe and China, he added. (ANI)