Sources say that with the closure of the border with Pakistan, the smuggling of Pakistani medicines into Afghanistan has increased. According to these sources, the drug-smuggling mafia, working in cooperation with several individuals within the Taliban regime, is involved in this process and is bringing Pakistani medicines into Afghanistan extensively and illegally.
Sources familiar with the process of drug supply and sale in Afghanistan say that Pakistani and Indian medicines are smuggled into the Afghanistan market on a large scale via the Kandahar, Helmand, and Zabul routes. According to these sources, some of these medicines do not even hold legal licensing in their countries of origin. According to the sources, this situation has forced consumers to pay higher medicine prices, while domestic producers also face serious difficulties.
This is one of the Pakistani medicines that was recently manufactured in Pakistan but is now readily found in pharmacies in Kabul and other provinces of Afghanistan. This medicine, sold under the brand name Hepa-Merz Syrup, is offered as an oral syrup in 120-millilitre packaging. According to the information printed on the packaging, this medicine was manufactured in April 2026 and has an expiry date of April 2028, even though,h officially, no Pakistani medicine has entered Afghanistan during this period.
Sources confirm that medicines bearing a 2026 manufacturing date, recently produced in Pakistan, are abundant in Afghanistan’s markets. According to these sources, all such medicines enter the country through smuggling and have no official import documentation, yet they are sold freely in markets and pharmacies.
Exclusive Medical sources in Kabul say that these medicines are products of India and carry no scientific backing or valid medical approval. According to them, numerous cases of these medicines are not even permitted for prescription or supply to patients in India itself, yet despite this, Afghanistan’s market has been flooded with such medicines. According to the sources, these medicines enter through Bandar Abbas and are then transferred to the customs houses of Nimroz, Kandahar, and Herat. These sources say that certain customs officials and local Taliban officials also play a role in this process, easily granting clearance for these shipments without conducting the necessary tests and standard controls.
One source says: “The medicine seller told me that these medicines are smuggled in, manufactured in Quetta, Pakistan, are counterfeit, and contain no active ingredient.”
According to claims from health sources, these are Indian medicines that do not appear on the official list of medicines approved for Afghanistan, and no one is legally permitted to import them, yet they have entered the market on a large scale.
These medicines, which cause no harm to patients in their absence and are considered unnecessary, were also officially banned. Later, following the Taliban’s takeover, the group’s Council of Ministers also endorsed this decision, but these medicines continue to enter the market daily through smuggling. According to statistics and reviews from the Deputy Ministry of Food and Medicine, the import of these medicines has not been authorized, yet they remain available in the market.
This letter pertains to the Ministry of Public Health of the previous government and contains a list of a number of medicines and medical products along with their official pricing. The letter was issued with the aim of regulating the country’s pharmaceutical market, setting fixed prices for essential medicines, supporting domestic production, and preventing disorder in the pricing and supply of medicines in the market. The letter lists various items, including syrups, tablets, ointments, and general medical supplies, covering high-demand and essential medicines that were manufactured in Afghanistan. According to the letter, the import of 15 of the medicines listed in it has been declared prohibited, and they are not permitted to enter the country.
Sources emphasize that the Taliban’s Ministry of Public Health is not capable of conducting effective oversight and inspection because powerful and influential individuals dominate the market.
One doctor says that the antibiotic market in Afghanistan is in a very unfavorable state. According to him, the quality of medicines in Afghanistan has “truly deteriorated.” He adds that claims regarding the import of substandard medicines can only be examined and proven through analysis in properly equipped laboratories.
This doctor also confirms: “Medicines that used to be imported through legal channels are no longer being imported, and since there is a shortage in the market, counterfeit medicines may be produced and brought in. However, only properly equipped laboratories can analyze these medicines and determine how much active ingredient they contain and whether they meet the required quality standards.”
You can read the Persian version of this report here:
قاچاق گسترده دارو در افغانستان؛ داروهای بدون مجوز در بازارهای کشور فروخته میشوند
