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Why Afghan meth could soon flood Aussie streets
Word: Andrew KoubaridisProducer: Andrew Piva
SPECIAL REPORT
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The Australian Federal Police has seen a sharp increase in Afghan methamphetamines arriving in Australia in the last two years, and experts fear the floodgates could soon open.
The Taliban-controlled country is emerging as a big player in the meth world after traffickers found the plant ephedra growing wild in parts of Afghanistan.
The plant is used to create ephedrine, a key part of meth, that is usually extracted from over-the-counter medicines.
One international report said meth seized from the region by the AFP was of high purity and on par with the quality from Mexico and the Netherlands.
AFP Detective Superintendent Russel Smith said manufacturing of the drug in Afghanistan was a “significant emerging threat”.
AFP Det Supt Russel Smith
“”
It’s cheap and nasty and has such a lasting effect on the individual’s health … it’s nasty all around. I can’t say it any other way.
Det Supt Smith said it was a constant battle to stay ahead of crime syndicates drawn to the lucrative Australian drug market.
The Taliban's return to power meant there were no AFP staff in country, but Det Supt Smith said the AFP would remain proactive against syndicates.
AFP Det Supt Russel Smith
“”
As organised crime defines their business of getting what they think might be a better product to sell to the unsuspecting citizens of Australia, then we’ll be all over that.
One notable seizure the AFP assisted with in 2020 was about 150L of methamphetamines, concealed in water bottles shipped from Iran.
The Taliban claim not to be involved in drug production but are known to tax drug traffickers and could already be earning millions a year from meth.
Det Sup Smith said so far the price of meth in Australia hadn’t changed, which indicated a high level of drug use in the country.
AFP Det Supt Russel Smith
“”
For some reason … there is an insatiable appetite in Australia for illicit drug use, and that continues to drive demand for methamphetamine.
Border security expert Dr John Coyne fears meth prices in Australia will fall, as in Asia, where they dropped by more than 30 per cent.
Dr John Coyne
“”
I’m worried by a massive ramping up in production and the dropping wholesale price … you’re getting higher purity and lower wholesale price. And that can be an absolute human security tragedy.
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Original URL: https://www.news.com.au/web-stories/free/news-com-au/why-afghanistan-meth-may-soon-flood-australian-streets