Afghan farmers have begun growing poppies again sparking fears of a boom in the international heroin trade.
The international community is desperate to ensure there is no return to the 1990s when Afghanistan was the largest source of heroin in the world.
The trade was almost eradicated by the Taliban which banned poppy growing last year. Before the ban 90 per cent of the heroin recovered in Europe came from Afghanistan.
Suggestions for stopping the floodgates opening again include destroying poppy fields or even buying up next year's harvest.
Monitors have had no access to the country's poppy growing areas since September so have not been able to establish how much land has been put under cultivation during the growing season in October and November.
They may not know until February or March, when the poppies bloom, exactly how much has been grown.
But the UN Drug Control Programme (UNDCP), which is currently re-establishing its Kabul office, said there were indications of a return to poppy growing by farmers.
There are also concerns that the recent turmoil will make it difficult to enforce the law against growers.
Many farmers see it as an ideal time to grow poppies, partly because heroin stockpiles held in Afghanistan were radically depleted immediately after September 11th as drug lords prepared to flee.
There are already reports of opium bazaars re-opening and fears local warlords may encourage poppy growing so they can tax it.
AP