Prior to opening the firm, Melwood Global’s founders worked closely with the top Drug Enforcement Agency representative in Afghanistan to orchestrate the largest drug burning in the country’s history. With daily interaction with Afghanistan’s top counter narcotics law enforcement official, they learned that a warehouse of seized drugs contained 30 tons of opium and other illicit narcotics. In close coordination with Afghan officials, they staged the largest drug burning in history. Journalists were taken by bus to a remote, undisclosed location. As the cameras rolled, counter narcotics forces set fire to an enormous mountain of drugs. The visual and accompanying message—that Afghanistan was taking demonstrable steps to tackle the narcotics trade—was the lead story for the BBC that day, as well as in numerous outlets across the world.