Government is facing growing challenges in combating drug trafficking and narco-terrorism, despite efforts. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) reports that Pakistan has an estimated 7.6 million drug users, with a significant portion under 25 years old.
The illegal drug trade in Pakistan is valued at $2 billion annually. According to the UN drug monitoring platform, opium smuggling from Afghanistan has continued since August 2021, accounting for over 80% of global opium production.
India is also emerging as a major opium market, with increasing incidents of drug smuggling and illicit opium production, according to the International Narcotics Control Board (INCB) 2023 report. Poppy cultivation in India is concentrated in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh.
The INCB report indicates that drug trafficking revenues are being used to fund terrorism and armed groups. In May 2024, Pakistani law enforcement agencies uncovered links between militant groups and drug smugglers.
Pakistan's Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) has arrested 340 foreigners for drug smuggling since 2018, including 184 Afghans. The country's 2019 Anti-Narcotics Strategy guides efforts against drug trafficking and narco-terrorism.
