In a quiet building at the back of a government compound in the north of Kabul, Afghanistan’s capital, Khalid Nabizada sits at his desk. Behind him are four screens, each showing a room packed from floor to ceiling with crystal methamphetamine—just a small portion of the amount seized by Afghan police in drug busts in 2020.
Nabizada has been head of the Counter Narcotics Police of Afghanistan (CNPA) forensic laboratory for 17 years, processing more than 60,000 drug samples. These days, methamphetamine takes up most of his time. It’s the fastest-growing illicit drug in Afghanistan, he says. And while demand is high, the price is dropping.
“International buyers know it can be made easily and cheaply here, the chemicals used are not controlled, and this ephedra plant is everywhere,” he says, turning a wiry, green branch in his fingers.
Ephedra—known as oman in some areas of the country and bandak in others—has grown wild and abundantly across Afghanistan’s mountainous central highlands for centuries. Today, the plant is behind the dramatic growth in the methamphetamine industry in Afghanistan.
Around the world, most meth is made from synthetic ephedrine, a decongestant found in cough and cold products. And before 2017, producers in Afghanistan opted for this precursor as well, Nabizada says. They usually obtained ephedrine, or the related chemical pseudoephedrine, from store-bought medications. But sourcing enough to support meth production is slow and expensive.
