What Happened to the 16 kg of Illegal Drugs and the Two Smugglers in Western Afghanistan?
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- 16 kg of opium seized in Herat.
- Two alleged smugglers detained.
- Part of a broader anti-narcotics campaign.
- 31 drug smugglers arrested recently.
- Government aims for a drug-free Afghanistan.
Kabul, Dec 14 (NationPress) Authorities in the Herat province of western Afghanistan confiscated 16 kg of opium and apprehended two suspected drug traffickers, as reported by a provincial police official on Sunday.
The official revealed that the suspects concealed the illegal substances in a vehicle's hidden compartments while attempting to transport them out of the province. Police intercepted the vehicle on Saturday, leading to the discovery of the drugs and the arrest of its owners, according to Xinhua News Agency.
This operation is part of ongoing anti-narcotics initiatives across various regions of Afghanistan.
Officials emphasized that the counter-narcotics unit is fully committed to combating drug production and trafficking throughout post-war Afghanistan.
On December 11, the Ministry of Interior Affairs disclosed that Afghan counter-narcotics police had detained 31 suspected drug smugglers and confiscated 258 kg of illegal drugs during several operations across multiple provinces.
The contraband included 194 kg of opium, 35 kg of hashish, and 29 kg of methamphetamine. These efforts were concentrated in Herat and the northern provinces of Kunduz and Baghlan, where four individuals were apprehended, according to the ministry.
In a separate series of counter-narcotics actions in Kabul, police arrested 27 suspects linked to the sale, purchase, and smuggling of illicit drugs.
The Afghan government has outlawed poppy cultivation, drug production, and trafficking, pledging to persist in its crackdown until Afghanistan, formerly a prime global source of opium, is completely drug-free.
On December 10, provincial police spokesman Ehsanullah Kamgar announced the arrest of an individual on drug smuggling charges, with 16 kg of opium confiscated in Badakhshan province.
This arrest occurred during an operation in the Kishim district, where police found the suspect in possession of the illegal substances and took him into custody for further inquiry, according to the official.
On November 30, local police reported the seizure of a shipment of illegal drugs in Nimroz province, leading to the arrest of its owner.
The alleged smuggler was reportedly attempting to transport 3 kg of methamphetamine out of the province, but police successfully thwarted the effort and apprehended him, as stated by Mawlawi Gul Mohammad Qudrat, spokesman for the provincial police office.