KEY OPIUM SMUGGLING ROUTE THROUGH DAI KUNDI,S

C O N F I D E N T I A L KABUL 000623 SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR SRAP, SCA/FO, SCA/A, EUR/RPM STATE PASS USAID FOR ASIA/SCAA USFOR-A FOR POLAD E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/17/2019 TAGS: PGOV PREL KDEM EAID AF SUBJECT: KEY OPIUM SMUGGLING ROUTE THROUGH DAI KUNDI,S KIJIRAN DISTRICT CAUSE OF INSTABILITY Classified By: PRT and Sub-National Governance Director Valerie C. Fowl er for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (C) Summary. Dai Kundi Provincial Council (PC) member Ramani (protect) from Kijiran district told Bamyan PRT on March 4 that the Taliban and other anti-government entities are promoting instability in the district because it is a key opium smuggling route northwest from Uruzgan province to a major heroin bazaar and processing center located just west of Kijiran in Baghran district, Helmand province. Shutting Kijiran off as a transit route would add days of travel to the smugglers, routes, he said. End Summary. ¶2. (C) Ramani is an influential member of the Dai Kundi provincial council from Kijiran district. According to Ramani, there is a large heroin bazaar in a town called Nomas, and a large heroin processing center in another town (he would not provide the name) near Nomas. Both are located just over the border of Kijiran in Baghran district, Helmand province. On a hand drawn map, Ramani placed the towns near the intersection of Baghran, Kijiran and Pasaband district in Ghor province. He said both towns can be observed through binoculars from the Kijiran side of the border. ¶3. (C) Ramani said smuggling heroin northwest from Uruzgan province across Kijiran and into Baghran is a relatively short trip. If that route were to be closed, circling south around Kijiran would take days. In Ramani,s estimation, the people of Kijiran are staunchly opposed to the Taliban, but are powerless to defend themselves. Ramani said the Afghan National Police (ANP) force in Kijiran is far too small and too outgunned to confront the smugglers, and unless they receive more forces and better equipment, the district will continue to suffer from insecurity and violence. WOOD