What Steps Are Afghan Police Taking to Combat Drug Manufacturing?

Kabul, July 1 (NationPress) Afghanistan's counter-narcotic police have successfully dismantled three secret drug processing labs and apprehended 13 suspects linked to drug-related activities across various provinces, as reported by the country's Ministry of Interior Affairs in separate releases on Tuesday.

The ministry disclosed that the counter-narcotic police units executed distinct operations in the western provinces of Farah and Nimroz, alongside the southern province of Helmand.

During these targeted raids, officials eradicated three drug labs and confiscated 26 litres of methamphetamine syrup, 20 litres of acid, 90 kg of ammonium, and 30 kg of a special lime utilized in drug production.

In another statement, the ministry confirmed the detention of 13 individuals involved in illegal drug trafficking and sales in the provinces of Kunar, Kunduz, Herat, Panjshir, Samangan, Khost, and Balkh.

Earlier this week, security forces captured three drug smugglers in the eastern province of Ghazni and seized 15 kg of methamphetamine, according to reports from Xinhua news agency.

The Afghan interim government has pledged to combat illicit drugs, drug production, and trafficking, as well as address other criminal activities to maintain law and order across the nation.

Last week, during an event in Kabul commemorating International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, ministry spokesperson Abdul Mateen Qani stated that over 98,000 operations have been conducted nationwide, resulting in the destruction of more than 20,000 clandestine drug processing labs and the arrest of over 28,000 drug traffickers.

In a significant effort to eradicate illicit crop cultivation, security forces have destroyed more than 38,000 hectares of land used for growing poppy and hashish throughout the country, according to Qani.

Additionally, Afghan police burned more than 7.5 tonnes of illicit drugs, including opium and heroin, on Sunday, which had been collected over the past year in northern Afghanistan's Takhar province, as confirmed by the provincial police office.

The contraband was seized during a series of operations across the province, with the office emphasizing that no one will be permitted to cultivate illegal crops, process illicit drugs, or engage in drug trafficking in the region.

The Afghan interim government imposed a ban on poppy cultivation and its processing, along with drug trafficking, in April 2022, and has committed to eradicating the drug menace in the country.