QUETTA, Nov 12: Afghan warlords may restart cultivation of poppy on a large scale in Afghanistan if the current turmoil continued, a top anti-drug functionary said here on Monday.

“Afghan drug barons still have a big stock of heroin, hashish and opium inside Afghanistan but due to heavy deployment of Taliban forces and Frontier Corps, they were not supplying drugs in the market openly,” Brig Liaquat Ali Toor, Regional Director ANF, Balochistan told a press conference.

Afghanistan was the main source of drugs where very influential people including warlords were involved in its illicit trade, he said.

Although supply of big drug consignments has stopped after a ban on poppy cultivation was slapped by the Taliban supreme leader Mulla Omar a year ago, small-scale smuggling is still continuing, he added.

“The prices of drugs have increased in the market due to a reduction in supply from Afghanistan,” Brig Toor said. In United States, Britain and other European countries, the value of fine quality heroin and hashish has risen manifold.

Afghanistan produced 4,600 metric tons of opium in 1999 compared to 3,750 metric tons in 2000. However, after the ban on poppy cultivation, its production dropped by 70 per cent, he said.

“Fifty-eight per cent of poppy is grown in Hilmand, Nimroz and Kandahar provinces. The heroin labs are located in Chotto, Ribat and Salehan Karez area in Hilmand,” the regional chief of of ANF Balochistan told reporters.

For local consumption, Girdi Jungle in Chagai and Piralizai Jungle in Pishin are used as main sources of supply, he said.

Talking about ANF’s performance in the province, he said 13 metric tons of drugs had been seized thus far in 2001. Last year’s haul was of 26 tons.

Over the past two years, the ANF conducted 172 operations in different areas of the province, of which 131 turned out to be successful. Eighty-eight smugglers were also arrested.