Iranian police chief, Ahmad Reza Radan, has accused the Taliban of lacking the will to combat opium production and drugs trafficking in Afghanistan.
Speaking to the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) on Monday on the occasion of International Day Against Drugs, Radan said that opium cultivation has increased by 32% in Afghanistan and warned of a far-reaching impact on global illicit drug markets.
“Afghanistan has not been serious in terms of counter-narcotics performance,” Radan said. “The fight against drug abuse and illicit trafficking should be prioritized as a collective responsibility and effort towards eradicating it. Otherwise, it will deepen the already significant problems by threatening more lives.”
Radan also praised Pakistan’s efforts towards drug eradication, calling it an “effective” step, and asserted that other countries could do more.
“I call on all governments for joint cooperation to put an end to drug supply and trafficking,” Radan said. “We should show the will and an unwavering commitment at a time when the business is getting more lucrative and a potential source of financing for the drug mafia.”
This comes after a recent UN report said that Afghanistan produced 80 per cent of the world’s opiate in 2022.
The Taliban has rejected the report as “far from the truth”.
