{"id":311880,"date":"2026-01-12T12:00:21","date_gmt":"2026-01-12T12:00:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/?p=311880"},"modified":"2026-01-11T07:35:36","modified_gmt":"2026-01-11T07:35:36","slug":"neocolonial-drug-trafficking-and-the-british-empires-opium-wars","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/2026\/01\/neocolonial-drug-trafficking-and-the-british-empires-opium-wars\/","title":{"rendered":"Neocolonial Drug Trafficking and the British Empire\u2019s Opium Wars"},"content":{"rendered":"

Today\u2019s \u201cNarco-States\u201d and \u201cThe Laundering of Drug Money\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/h3>\n
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9 Jan 2026\u00a0<\/em>– The tragic events of September 11, 2001<\/strong> were conducive to the conduct of the October 7, 2001 US-NATO invasion of Afghanistan<\/strong> on the grounds that America had been \u201cattacked by an unnamed foreign power.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cThere is continuity from the colonial style legitimate \u201cdrug war\u201d led by the British Empire, to the present drug trafficking structures: Afghanistan under US military occupation, the Narco-State in Latin America<\/strong>.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rarely acknowledged by the mainstream media, the \u201cGlobal War on Terrorism\u201d (GWOT) which was launched on 9\/11 coupled with an extensive dollarization of the global economy has a bearing on the global trade in narcotics, which is controlled by powerful financial interests.<\/p>\n

The illegal trade in narcotics is conducted in U.S. dollars under a sophisticated money laundering framework.<\/p>\n

This article examines briefly the history of narcotics commencing with the British Empire\u2019s Opium Wars.<\/p>\n

\u2014Michel Chossudovsky<\/strong>, January 6, 2026<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking<\/strong><\/h2>\n

In accordance with Resolution 42\/112<\/a> of 7 December 1987, the UN General Assembly decided to observe 26 June as the International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking<\/strong> as an expression of its determination to strengthen action and cooperation to achieve the goal of an international society free of drug abuse.<\/p>\n

Raise Awareness<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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Money laundering is the processing of criminal proceeds to disguise their illegal origin.<\/a><\/p>\n

This process is of critical importance, as it enables the criminal to enjoy these profits without jeopardizing their source.<\/p>\n

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[Image source: United Nations (UNODC)]<\/p>\n

Rarely acknowledged, (\u201clegal\u201d) drug trafficking was initiated by the British Empire.<\/strong><\/p>\n

There is continuity. The colonial label has been scrapped. Today the (\u201cillicit\u201d) drug trade is a multibillion \u201cneocolonial\u201d dollar operation.<\/em><\/p>\n

The two main hubs of production today are:<\/p>\n