The unknown unknowns of Afghanistan's new wave of methamphetamine production

https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/usappblog/2019/09/30/long-read-the-unknown-unknowns-of-afghanistans-new-wave-of-methamphetamine-production/

Very interesting.
We had another article about this some months ago too, and I am of the opinion that this knowledge comes from the same people who taught the afghans how to make heroin from their back then already existing opium production.
They wonder where it goes in this article?
I am sure some of it goes back to where the knowledge to produce it came from too...  I mean, it is a big part of how they make their "black funds" for a long time now, so it would make sense, doesn't it?

The Taliban makes drugs in order to help destroy the infidels.  Maybe their meth will have poison or radioactive isotopes in it, too.

From 2018 - they use Birch reduction in west Afghanistan - with ammonia+lithium for the production of meth

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As in the West, residents use everyday pharmaceuticals, namely Panadol CF, a cold and flu medicine, to extract the Pseudoephedrine — referred to locally as 'Chemical F' — that is essential to the production of methamphetamines.

The local leader, who refused to be identified, said the medicine is so essential to the process that local drug mafias have been known to pay upwards of $20 for a single Panadol CF pill in times of shortage. Even in the most high-end pharmacy chains of Kabul, a pack of 10 sells for the equivalent of 26 cents.

The local leader recalls a rumour last year that the elusive 'Chemical F' could be found in certain strand of grass.

"Overnight you saw hundreds of men and women rushing to scour the fields for this magic grass, it was an unbelievable sight," he says.

Sources speaking to TRT World said the rest of the chemicals, including acetone, anhydrous ammonia (a fertiliser), lye, sulphuric acid, lithium and toluene (used in paint thinners and TNT) come from neighbouring Iran, and to a lesser extent, Pakistan.

https://www.trtworld.com/magazine/how-narcos-brought-meth-labs-to-afghanistan-22562


Another who is making tons of meth is the Assad's Syria - with the fake "Captagon" pills. Saudis loves it.

They are importing huge quantities of pseudoephedrine. The pills are a mix of d-meth and caffeine, similars to the Yaba from east-Asia.

I doubt its like this, it is more likely they just make money with and nothing else... and no one selling drugs really wants their customers to die, this is just a way too lucrative method to generate income.
Also, most of their stuff is still consumed by others in islamic countries.
And those few are among the most islamic countries existing, they would never want to poison their fellow muslim brothers.
Making some quick bucks with the infidels?
Yeah, that is much more likely, they did it before and they will do it again, trading with those in power was always very lucrative for them.

And now think how much a ton of meth would sell(especially to foreign infidels who are going to import that to their country) in their afghani currency... they would make a huge profit with it, much more than they would selling it in the region.
But, for those buying it to fly it back to their home country, the profit margin would still be incredibly huge, much larger than it would have been with any other drug, and they are well known for their trafficking operations.
I give you that, if they would want to, they could poison those batches, yeah... still absolutely unlikely.

But, this was never found out by themselves, which is obvious by the quick spread this knowledge had according to the article... I mean, 3 years ago they used the ephedra as firewood and now they're harvesting it by the ton to cook meth out of it?
In quantities far from domestic production?
Hardly believable.
I am really convinced that this comes from the same source as their sudden knowledge on how to purify morphine from opium, and consequently diacetylating it.
This was already a very successful operation and worked so well, its consequences are a problem for the intended target up to this day, and will not cease, as long as western soldiers are protecting the poppy fields down there.
And the organisation responsible still makes lots of profits with this.
So why wouldn't they try it again, now with another drug?
Besides that being easily possible in such a destabilised country, it is also very cheap to produce there.
The mexican meth must be, despite easier imported, cost considerably more due to the difficult production conditions over there... I mean, the afghan army has neither the will, the abilities, nor any reward in a "war on drugs" as it is in mexico.

Of course in consequence this knowledge reached the population as well, and domestic production began too, no wonder.


I was always convinced these captagon pills that are sold in the middle east weren't fenethylline!
Said this already in the thread about it, its way too much work to produce this instead.
And there was a huge amount of amphetamine found in one of those "captagon" labs too.
But meth? Logical of course, indeed.

Never seen this before.. Interesting Article

Quote from: carl on May 04, 2020, 11:46:57 PM
I was always convinced these captagon pills that are sold in the middle east weren't fenethylline!
Said this already in the thread about it, its way too much work to produce this instead.
And there was a huge amount of amphetamine found in one of those "captagon" labs too.
But meth? Logical of course, indeed.

I've seen reports of confiscated Captagon tablets with not a single one containing Fenethylline, some were mixed with various amount of stimulants such as amphetamines, methamphetamine, MDMA and MDA, is it hard to synthesize Fenethylline? i always believed a simple procedure with Amphetamine and Theophylline (if i'm correct) or is it simply too time consuming and not worth the effort for the Captagon manufacturers?

dont know how simple it was but i read somewhere and i remember it was one step procedure to fenethyline, everyone can have the coptagon press and press whatever they want, if it was cought in afghanistan probably some exporters seling fake coptagon, imagine what effects woud have such ego boost on kamikadzes for example. they for shure have acess to multiple drugs to flush off some brains and make them belieave in religion in such a manner, but its intrested if we see afganistan crystal meth throw europe, i havent heard nothink abaut afganistan crystals.

Probably easier to smuggle towards the East than Europe or simply supply the demand for "fake" Captagon tablets

If anyone thinks it's actual Afghanis running these operations and making the money from them, I've got a nice bridge you might like to buy... 

No.2
https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/usappblog/2019/05/28/new-us-airstrikes-obscure-a-dramatic-development-in-the-afghan-drugs-industry-the-proliferation-of-low-cost-methamphetamine/#prettyPhoto

There's billions of people in Asia and meth is a work drug.  Very few if any of those countries accurately report usage statistics. 

The region should be flooded with acid, not meth