SNA (Tokyo) — Defying the expectations of many Western commentators, the Afghan Taliban have proven entirely sincere in their pledge to shut down the local drug trade, in spite of the fact that it was also the largest source of income for the impoverished nation.

Opium poppy cultivation in Afghanistan plunged by an estimated 95% following a drug ban imposed by the Taliban government in April 2022, according to a new research brief produced by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).

“This presents a real opportunity to build towards long-term results against the illicit opium market and the damage it causes both locally and globally,” declared Ghada Waly, executive director of the UNODC.

When the US-led occupation of Afghanistan collapsed in August 2021 and the Taliban returned to power, it was widely predicted in the West that the new regime would use the profits of the drug trade to finance nefarious schemes.

But that didn’t happen. Instead Taliban Supreme Leader Haibatullah Akhunzada returned to his movement’s former policy: “All Afghans are informed that from now on, cultivation of poppy has been strictly prohibited across the country,” he declared.

It is now apparent that not only was this declaration made in earnest, but that the ban has proven to be remarkably effective.

During the two decades of US military occupation, it was an entirely different story. Poppy cultivation rose from near zero at the time of the US invasion in late 2001 to cultivated areas eventually stretching out over 300,000 hectares of land and worth an estimated US$1.4 billion. At that time, Afghanistan was producing an estimated 80% of the world’s poppy crop, much of it centered in Helmand Province. About 95% of the illicit heroine supply in Europe had its origins in this country.

The US military spent over US$10 billion on anti-narcotics campaigns in Afghanistan, and even went so far as to conduct airstrikes on suspected drug labs. These measures utterly failed to stem the growing problem.

For many ordinary Afghans, however, there is little reason to celebrate. The deeply impoverished nation has fallen into even deeper poverty with the abandonment of its most successful cash crop, which formerly produced over a half a million full-time jobs to the local people.

This article was originally published on November 6, 2023, in the “Japan and the World” newsletter. Become a Shingetsu News supporter on Patreon and receive the newsletter by email each Monday morning.