Smack in the Middle

ALEXANDRA BOULAT/VII

Pakistani addicts gather to smoke heroin under a bridge in Quetta

Kandahar, the citadel of Taliban rule, has its own version of Wall Street called the opium bazaar, just beyond the stalls selling raisins and pistachios. And the Taliban is guilty of insider trading. Two summers ago, some of the biggest customers in the clamorous lane were local Taliban commanders who had been tipped off that the supply was about to be chokedTaliban supreme leader Mullah Mohammed Omar declared poppy cultivation to be "un-Islamic"and saw the chance to make a killing.

404 Not Found

404 Not Found


nginx/1.14.0 (Ubuntu)
Back then, it was a bearish market. Afghanistan provided 75% of the world's opium and its...

Want the full story?

Subscribe Now

Subscribe
Subscribe

Learn more about the benefits of being a TIME subscriber

If you are already a subscriber sign up — registration is free!