This analysis examines the modalities of illegal methamphetamine manufacture in Afghanistan, highlighting risks to the region. Coverage of suspected methamphetamine manufacture in Afghanistan, particularly in the news media in recent years, has generally focused on the use of the ephedra plant as a major contributing driver. Ephedra grows abundantly in the region and contains ephedrines that can be extracted to make methamphetamine.
The findings presented here contextualize illegal manufacture of methamphetamine with respect to quantify total methamphetamine production, different input materials. The analysis contained in this report does not seek to evaluate or assess the effectiveness of counternarcotics measures in the country, nor does it consider the effects of the April 2022 announcement of enforcement against the production, trafficking, and consumption of all illicit drugs in Afghanistan.
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Source: United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime