KARACHI, Nov 12: Following the US-led air strikes on Afghanistan since Oct 7, the value of pure quality heroin has drastically fallen from Rs325,000 to Rs10,000-Rs15,000 per kg in the city, a survey carried out by the Anti-Narcotics Force said.

Similarly, the same 95 per cent pure quality heroin is available for as low as Rs5,000 per kg in the areas bordering Afghanistan.

Earlier, following the decree issued by the Taliban chief, Mullah Umar, banning poppy cultivation in Afghanistan, last year, the value of heroin had shot up to Rs325,000 per kg from its earlier price of Rs60,000 to Rs80,000 per kg.

Following the decree, traders had hoarded opium stocks which do not have a long shelf-life, the survey said.

As a consequence of the air raids on Afghanistan, the hoarders, better known as traders, shifted opium stocks to the bordering areas with Pakistan and started disposing stocks, fearing their destruction in the bombing campaign, Lt-Col Tariq Mahmood, Joint Director, ANF, told Dawn.

He acknowledged that in the present scenario, the consumption of heroin in the country would definitely increase, as well as the cropping up of heroin-processing factories.

However, he hoped the situation might be temporary.

Sources, said that opium influx in the country would contribute to the re-emergence of processing factories in the bordering towns.

Such factories were eliminated three years ago, during the government’s opium-eradication campaign.

The present war in Afghanistan will have a negative impact on Pakistan. When the Taliban are at war, they cannot stop poppy cultivation and since the people have to earn something, they do not have any alternative corps to grow, sources maintained.

Last year, the United Nations Drug-Control Programme had certified the eradication of poppy cultivation in Pakistan.

According to ANF statistics, Pakistan has 4 million drug addicts.

As per ANF figures of the year 2000, 603 kg of heroin was seized in Sindh, 2,004 kg from Punjab, 597 kg from NWFP and 6,293 kg from Balochistan.

Similarly, during the same period, 434 kg opium was seized from Sindh, 1,880 kg from Punjab, 1,110 kg from NWFP and 5,504 kg from Balochistan. The seizures were made by different law- enforcement agencies.

Meanwhile, a part of the opium seized by the ANF is handed over to pharmaceutical companies for consumption in medicines, the ANF Joint Director added.