NATS
The farmers of southern Afghanistan say it's been the best opium harvest in decades...
NATS
Ahmad Ollah's a small farmer -- just a couple of acres. Some have a couple of hundred put out to poppy, year in, year out.
And with eighteen family memebrs to suppolrt he's desperate for the opium cash which will keep them all for the coming year..
1 ===== SOT 19.09 AHMAD OLLAH / OPIUM FARMER
VOICEOVER: "We don't have any other income. Nor do we have any other jobs. Also, the government doesn't provide any other options. If we had an alternative we wouldn't have been growing opium."
The government wants to provide people with alternative crops. But Habib, Ahmad's brother says the profits on thnigs like wheat are hopeless...
2 ===== SOT 18.09 HABIB OLLAH / OPIUM GROWER
VOICEOVER "The way things are right now the margins on growing wheat on such a small area of land wouldn't even cover the fuel costs of the machinery. So there's no alternative. And if the smugglers are happy with the product, we have ourselves a deal."
A lot of people are have themselves a deal. Right now across the country the agents of the big smugglers are fanning out to the growers large and small. Mansoor Khan's one of the biggest smugglers. His agent's come to see Ahmad and cut the deal on which the family will survive for the coming year...
3 ====== SOT 29.38 VOICEOVER
FARMER: "We have some opium here."
DEALER:"Show me what you have."
FARMER:"Do you like the quality?"
DEALER:"It's OK but it's not quite dry."
FARMER:"That's the best we could get - considering the bad weather we had. It will be good if it sells because we badly need the money."
DEALER:"It's not really what I'm looking for...but considering your desperate situation I can make you an offer."
Ahmad has 800 kilos of opium. He asks for fifty dollars a kilo. Mansoor Khan's agent offers 35. Ahmad counters with 40. They settle on 37.
And here, is where Mansour Khan lives. One of the country's larger opium exporters. Heavily armed guards surround his compound...
NATS
Inside, staff are enjoying a spot of cockfighting and a wager or two. Mansour Khan's pleased to welcome our team.
NATS salaam alekum
Confident. Apparently invincible. His vast business isn't just a part of the community -- it is the community. No signs of any government attempts to eradicate the business...
4 ===== SOT 05.14" MANSOUR KHAN/ OPIUM EXPORTER VOICEOVER
"I know it's illegal but the fact is that we employ about 300 workers who again are responsible for the wellbeing of their families, so the life of many people depends on this business."
And business is good. I've spent a packet on this house he says. It's for my guests who need somewhere to stay when they visit. As the tour pf the villa unfolds he says the government's not provding any alternative to opium -- if it did people would take it.
But -- to make this business work, critics say he's co-operating with the Taliban.
5 ====== SOT 08.14 MANSOOR KHAN/OPIUM SMUGGLER VOICEOVER
"It's a total lie. They're making excuses. We have no connections with the Taliban whatsoever and we are in this trade because we have to be."
He has smuggling operations across a vast area of Afghanistan from Herat in the west to round to Kandahar in the south. Often lucrative -- sometimes lethal...
6 ====== SOT 14.11 MANSOUR KHAN/OPIUM SMUGGLER VOICEOVER
"Since most of our business is through Iran we have to be flexible and use the whole border. That means operating from herat down to Kandahar. We cannot have our own people everywhere. But we have local support in all these areas who are very loyal even if it comes to clashes with security forces and people get killed. But don't get me wrong - it's not just us who die - they also pay the price because we are armed too."
So confident is Mansour Khan, he's invited our team to film two smuggling operations. The first, leaving very soon, will be in a convoy of 4 by 4 vehicles...
There's a final briefing for the smuggling team...
7 ======= SOT 17.32 MONSOUR KHAN/OPIUM SMUGGLER VOICEOVER
"I tell you - be careful during your journey. Before you go check your cars properly and make sure there are no problems with the cars. Once you set off it's a long journey and there are no mechanics on the way. Let me know if you are late or in any trouble. But never mention my name to anyone. Even if you want to get in touch with me don't use your telephones. Use some pay-phones or find another way...I'm warning you - the security forces are aware of things and they're watching."
NATS
A toast of Russian vodka for the road -- and it's time to move...
NATS
Outside, they load up sacks of opium into the vehicles. According to Mansoor Khan, without this trade, Afghanistan's ruined - tell that to the people who say we shouldn't do this, he says...
NATS
They head out west, for the frontier with Iran. It's a long, hot, dusty drive.
NATS
Even through isolated villages, there's no stopping. All the while the guards are on watch, kalashnikovs and rocket propelled grenades at the ready...
Several times shots are exchanged...
NATS
Finally, hours later, the light's getting low and they reached the rendez-vous with the scout. But there's no sign of him.
NATS
They try calling him up on the radio...
NATS
It works. But the scout has bad news....
8 ===== SOTS 19.34 SCOUT ETC VOICEOVER
SMUGGLER:"How is the security up the road?
SCOUT :"It's dangerous."
SMUGGLER:"Catch up with us fast."
We ask if we are close to the Iranian border now?
SMUGGLER:"Yes. It's over there. Down there in that direction. It's the first Iranian post. Unfortunately you have to get out of here now because it's too dangerous."
At this moment the scout appears...in person....
SMUGGLER:" How is the route?"
SCOUT :"It doesn't look good."
SMUGGLER:"Shall we go another route?"
SCOUT :"Yes - you should."
SMUGGLER:"Turn the car round boys -- let's go through another route."
They said later, the consignment of about 800 kilos of opium got across into Iran with no problems.
NATS
But back at his base, Mansour Khan had another smuggling run already set up in the coming days. It's the busiest time of the year. He has convoys set up constantly...
NATS
Early in the journey, a hazardous river crossing, avoiding a nearby bridge complete with police post...another expensive consignment over the fast flowing Helmand River, in broad daylight...
NATS
Waiting on the opposite bank, a camel caravan...
NATS
The smugglers are quite happy to be asked about their trade...
9 =======
INTERVIEWER:"Where are you heading to?"
SMUGGLER :"We are delivering to south-east Iran."
INTERVIEWER:"How long are you on the road?"
SMUGGLER :"It takes about 3 to 4 days."
INTERVIEWER:"How do you transport this?"
SMUGGLER :" We use camel caravans because it is a good disguise. People on the road thin we are nomads who are changing their grazing, which is very common in this area."
This caravan is just one operation of many from one smuggler amongst scores. Hundreds of teams like this or in 4by4s...A key part in the industry which provides Afghanistan with the majority part of its gross national product -- 80%. Destroy this industry -- and you dismantle the national economy.
So the caravans continue to plod their cargoes to towards Iran and Pakistan. If the government is making good on its pledge to replace opium growing with viable alternatives -- there's precious little evidence.
But -- Mansoor Khan wasn't joking when he said they're watching. Overhead a chinook helicopter swung by, the foreign occupiers quartering the ground, taking a look and moving on...
The boss, Mansoor Khan, knows Afghan opium is premier quality, fetching 30% more than opium from other countries. Get it right and there's serious money to be made. Get it wrong and it's a long jail sentance or more likely, being shot in an ambush with the Afghan or Iranian security forces.
Tomorrow these men will meet scouts from the next section of the journey and our team cannot go further. But for now it is time to rest up...build the fire... And then a stroke of luck -- one smuggler's found a straying sheep which is slaughtered for supper...
But their plans were well-laid. Like the motorised convoy, this consignment of about 400 kilos also reached Iran without a hitch.
Two smuggling runs: 1200 kilos of Afghan opium -- potentially 120 kilos of heroin. Street value in Europe: around six million pounds.