Pakistan smugglers pushing free meth to fuel addiction in Punjab
Pushed to the brink by heightened security measures, smugglers from across the border have come up with a new strategy — bundling free samples of ICE (crystal meth) with heroin packets in a bid to lure more Punjab youth in the grip of addiction.
ICE, or crystal meth, is typically a synthetic drug, but this new wave of supply is plant-based, sourced from Afghanistan. It is derived from ephedra plant, which grows wild in that region. Cheaper, more potent and alarmingly accessible, this Afghan-made ICE is meant to target the state’s youth, while becoming a challenge for law enforcement agencies to curb its spread.
Heroin in short supply amid Taliban ban
Facing heightened security, smugglers bundling free samples of ICE with heroin to lure Punjab’s youth
Afghan-made ICE is a cheaper and more potent plant-based drug derived from ephedra plant
Smugglers pushing ICE following 70% drop in opium cultivation in Afghanistan amid Taliban ban
Despite the Taliban’s ban on opium cultivation since 2021, the growth of ephedra plant remains unchecked. Punjab police officials report that the supply of heroin, which is chemically derived from opium, has been significantly impacted by the opium ban. There has been a 70 per cent reduction in opium cultivation and smugglers have been relying on existing stockpiles.
However, in recent months, the authorities have observed a new trend: Pakistani smugglers, who traditionally smuggle heroin from Afghanistan, are now offering free samples of ICE in a “one-plus one” kind of scheme. In 2024 alone, the state police seized a record 22 kg of ICE, a staggering 11-fold increase compared to the 2 kg seized in 2023. In the last five days, an additional 2 kg of ICE has been seized in a special anti-drug operation.
Haji Salim, also known as Haji Baloch, a Pakistan-based drug lord considered one of the world’s largest smugglers, is reportedly behind the large-scale supply of ICE. “He operates a vast global network and is now shifting focus to ICE produced in Afghanistan,” revealed a police official.
ICE is significantly cheaper internationally, costing about one-tenth the price of heroin, and its dosage is similarly smaller. The police have documented numerous instances where ICE was sent via drones alongside heroin shipments to Punjab. Interrogation of captured smugglers confirmed that ICE was being distributed free of cost, the official said.
As per a report in Chemical and Engineering News (C&EN), ephedra — grown wild across Afghanistan’s mountainous central highlands for centuries -- is behind the dramatic growth in methamphetamine or ICE industry.
The report said while most methamphetamine was typically synthesised from ephedrine, a chemical found in cold and cough medicines, Afghan producers began experimenting with extracting ephedrine directly from the ephedra plant in 2015. By 2018, they achieved success. Following the Taliban’s ban on opium, ICE production surged. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) reports that this shift has led to exponential growth in the industry, with profits flowing into Taliban coffers.
A BBC report, citing Dr David Mansfield, an expert on Afghanistan’s drug industry at the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction, warns that Afghanistan is emerging as a major global producer of methamphetamine. The country, already the world’s leading source of heroin, could see crystal meth become an equally significant industry. The report highlights that the Taliban is earning over $4 million annually from Bakwa district alone, one of the primary regions cultivating ephedra plant.
