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Afghan Luke's global opiate business figures wrong. Reality is worse.

posted 12 years ago by imdb-20-fcasparx
1 reply | jump to latest

According to UNODC (United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime)
[Global_Afghan_Opium_Trade_2011-web.pdf, Final_Global Afghan Opiate Trade_2011-20 july 2011.pdf]
in 2009, the street value of the globally consumed illicit heroine, opium and morphine equals US$68 billion.

This is more than 15 times the amount of the 'meagre' US$4 billion mentioned in the movie.

The same document also says that the taliban earned 'only' around US$155 million from that trade in 2009, not the US$500 million that were mentioned in the movie.

"Afghan drug TRAFFICKERS" are said to have received US$2.2 billion, afghan FARMERS around US$440 million, according to the UNODC 2011 report on the global afghan opiate trade.

[Quote from the film (@00h39m):]
Drug Enforcement official: As you all know, afghanistan produces 92% of the world's heroin,
with a street value of US$4 billion.
Now, about US$500 million of that goes to the taliban to found their insurgency.

Luke: Now, what about the other US$3.5 billion, where does that go?

DEA Offic.: That goes into a hockey pool. (...) Many farmers have resorted to growing marijuana ... Afghanistan is now the world's second largest producer of hashish, after morocco; and as you also know, NATO has recently agreed to help us capture and prosecute major drug dealers, which is a good thing ...

Other Journalist: Does that mean you go after government official now?

(Laughter)

[End of Quote from film]

Hasn't alcohol prohibition in the USA 1919-1932 shown the world that prohibition benefits mostly the growth of the most reckless criminal endeavors?

Heroin itself is a very cheap substance, though prohibition makes it many times more precious than gold. All the wealth that can thusly be gained - gained by the most reckless, by those that are most inconsiderate to the lives of others - fuels corruption and murder worldwide.

Make these substances legally available (with regulation of course, like alcohol and tobacco), and most of the incentive for crime is gone.

[–] hardwood53 11 years ago

Then we would be living in a World that makes sense. It would mean an end to some the great fortunes that grease the wheels of commerce. Politicians and other criminal types would never permit it.