Papvaver Somiferum is a plant that only flowers annually (Claus, Tyler & Brady, 1970).

It thrives best in dry, temperate climates and at altitudes about 2500 feet above sea-level. Depending on the regional climate, the plant reaches optimal-level of growth during September to July. In the South-East Asian region, planting is usually completed by late October. This is necessary to take advantage of the longwinter period in the Southern Hemisphere. By November, the plants would enter the cabbage/lettuce stage and about after 90 days, the plant would be matured and ready to flower (Drug Enforcement Administration, Intelligence Division, 1993).

Poppy Flower and Fruit Credit: http://payvand.com/news/04/sep/1120.html Upon full bloom, the petals will drop and a small gravish-green fruit will be revealed. This fruit will continue to develop into a capsule (aka seedpod) about the size of a hen-egg. The pods would be fully matured about two weeks after the petals have fallen and the capsule shows a change in colour from gravishgreen to dark green. The pods are now ready to be tapped (incised) for opium. Each pod could yield up to a maximum of 100 milligrams of opium. The opium is then set aside to dry in the sun. Dried, raw opium is brown to black in colour while opium of superior quality is brown and sticky. A typical farm could produce up to a maximum of 9 kilograms of opium per acre (Claus, Tyler & Brady, 1970). Before the raw opium is converted into pure heroin it has to undergo four stages: (1) purification of raw opium, (2) extraction of morphine from opium, (3) conversion of morphine to heroin base and lastly (4) purification of heroin base and conversion to hydrochloride salt. It is up to the manufacturer along the distribution chain to decide whether to add diluents and adulterants after purification of heroin base takes place. It is to be taken note that stage 2 and stage 4 could be eliminated by some producers. Nevertheless, producers in South-East Asia, usually adhere to the above-mentioned four stages in order to produce pure heroin (Claus, Tyler & Brady, 1970). We shall take a closer look at each of the four stages in order to get a better understanding of the production process of opium. Stage 1: Purification of raw opium The collected raw opium is cooked in an open cooking pot of boiling water whereby all alkaloids in the opium gets dissolved. Solid plant material such as soil and twigs that are unable to dissolve in the water floats to the top of the solution and gets filtered out later. The solution is then re-heated over a low flame in order for the water to evaporate away, leaving behind a thick dark paste which is left in the sun to dry. This left over opium is about 20% purer than it was in the raw stage. Producers (farmers) may decide to

export this product for smoking or eating or for domestic (local) consumption. If the raw opium is transported to heroin manufacturing sites, it may go through further processing (stage 2). Stage 2: Extraction of morphine At this stage, processed opium which is 20 percent purer (compared to its raw state) is again boiled until it gets completely dissolved. Slaked lime is added to the solution to produce calcium morpehnate. The calcium morphenate solution is filtered and reheated in cooking pots where ammonium chloride is also added. When the pH of the solution reaches about 8 or 9, it is cooled for a few hours after which morphine base will settle to the bottom of the pot. When the solution is filtered through a cloth, large morphine base gets attached to it. The cloth are then squeezed and set aside to dry in the sun. The end product is dried crude morphine base in coffee-coloured powder state. It is dependent upon the producer now to decide whether to move to stage 3. If the producer decides to proceed, hydrochloric acid is added to the crude morphine base to form a solution of morphine hydrochloride. Thereafter activated charcoal is added and the solution is heated again and then filtered through a cloth. Morphine Hyhdrochloride, a fine white powder forms, when the filtrate is exposed and left to dry in the sun; The powder is then pressed into bricks and transported for further processing.

Stage 3: Conversion of morphine to heroin base. In this stage, acetic anhydride is added to morphine base and heated. After 5 hours of cooking when all the morphine has dissolved, the solution is a mixture of water, acetic acid, and diacetylmorphine (heroin). The solution is then let to cool after adding some water. In order to absorb impurities, activated charcoal is mixed with the solution. The solution is then continuously filtered until it is clear. Sodium Carbonate dissolved in hot water is then added to the solution until effervescence stops and solid heroin base is precipitated. The heroin base is then filtered using a fine cloth and left to dry. At this moment, the heroin base should be in a granular, white powder form. If the heroin base is still coloured it could be redissolved in dilute hydrochloric or citric acid and the process could be repeated again. However some producers (particularly in the South-West Asia), would sell of this partially impure heroin base. It is possible for 1 kilogram of morphine to produce up to 700 grams of heroin base. Stage 4: Conversion of heroin base to heroin hydrochloride At stage 4, ethyl alcohol and concentrated hydrochloric acid is added to the heroin and the solution is heated in order for the heroin base to dissolve in the acid and alcohol. The end product is hydrochloride acid. Ethyl and alcohol is added to the solution (hydrochloric acid) again, and the mixture is allowed to cool an hour after which the mixture turns nearly solid. The solution is then filtered and the solids are collected on clean filter paper and then left to dry in the sun (usually over lime rock). The fully dried product (purified heroin) is now ready to be packed and transported.