Afghan opium activities down, U.N. says

KABUL, Afghanistan, Sept. 2 (UPI) -- Opium production in Afghanistan dropped during the last growing season while the number of opium poppy-free provinces increased, a U.N. report indicated.

Opium poppy cultivation was down 22 percent, production declined 10 percent and prices were reported at a 10-year low, the Afghan Opium Survey 2009 released by the U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime in Kabul Wednesday indicated.

The survey also reported the number of opium poppy-free provinces increased from 18 to 20 out of a total of 34, and that more drugs are being seized as a result of more vigorous counter-narcotics operations by Afghan and NATO forces.

The annual survey covers the planting cycle from May 2008 to June 2009.

"At a time of pessimism about the situation in Afghanistan, these results are a welcome piece of good news and demonstrate that progress is possible," UNODC Executive Director Antonio Maria Costa said.

Despite the progress, drugs originating in Afghanistan still fund activities of criminals, insurgents and terrorists, Costa said.

"A marriage of convenience between insurgents and criminal groups is spawning narco-cartels in Afghanistan linked to the Taliban," Costa said.

He repeated his call that drug traffickers tied to terrorism be reported to the U.N. Security Council and for a regional approach to tackle Afghan opium-related threats.

"The focus on Afghanistan and Pakistan is welcome, but we need to widen the scope to Iran and Central Asia as well," Costa said.