Afghan Forces Confiscate 731 kg of Illegal Drugs, Arrest 25 Traffickers

Synopsis

Afghanistan's security forces have confiscated a significant 731 kg of illegal drugs in Nangarhar province and captured 25 smugglers. The operations reveal the government's commitment to combating drug trafficking and production amid rising drug use rates in the country.

Key Takeaways

731 kg of illicit drugs seized in Nangarhar.
25 drug smugglers were arrested.
3,499 stimulant tablets also confiscated.
Afghanistan's government is focused on combating drug trafficking.
Drug use affects one in three families in Afghanistan.

Kabul, Feb 9 (NationPress) Afghanistan's security forces have successfully seized 731 kg of illicit drugs and apprehended 25 drug smugglers in eastern Nangarhar province over the past week, as reported by the Ministry of Interior Affairs on Sunday.

The confiscation occurred during military operations on the outskirts of Jalalabad city and in various districts within the province, according to the statement.

Additionally, 3,499 stimulant tablets were discovered during these operations, as reported by Xinhua news agency.

The Afghan interim government is dedicated to fighting illegal drugs, along with the production and trafficking of narcotics across the Central Asian nation.

In another operation, police found 12 kg of illicit drugs in Baghlan province and arrested an individual for drug trafficking, as stated by district police chief Qari Naqibullah Muhammadi.

This contraband, which included 12 kg of hashish, was located in the Banu district, where another drug smuggler was also captured.

The police have vowed to prevent any production or smuggling of hashish, poppy, or materials used in heroin manufacturing within the province.

Furthermore, Afghan counter-narcotics police discovered 102 kg of methamphetamine (known as ice) in Nangarhar province, according to a statement from the office of the Deputy Minister of Interior for Counter-Narcotics.

This meth was found at the Torkham border crossing between Afghanistan and Pakistan, resulting in the arrest of one individual whose case has been forwarded to the judiciary for investigation.

In a similar incident, 200 kg of methamphetamine was seized by Afghan police during operations in the western province of Nimroz last September.

Last month, the counter-narcotics department authorities destroyed 10.5 tonnes of illegal drugs in Bamiyan province, including opium poppy and hashish, which were publicly burned.

Bamiyan police have prohibited the cultivation of poppy, drug processing, and trafficking in the province.

Afghanistan has the highest number of opiate users globally, with a national drug usage rate of 12.6 percent among adults in 2015, nearly double the global average of 5.2 percent. Drug use affects one in three households in the country.