Afghan police destroy nearly 30 tonnes of illicit drugs

Kabul, Aug 26 (IANS) Afghan police set on fire 29.8 tonnes of illegal drugs seized during a series of operations in eastern Afghanistan's Nangarhar province, according to a statement issued by the office of the Deputy Minister of Interior for Counter-Narcotics.

The confiscated substances included 1,442 kg of methamphetamine (ICE), 588 kg of heroin, 15,714 kg of hashish, 460 kg of opium poppy, and other narcotics, along with materials used in drug production, said the statement issued late Monday, Xinhua News Agency reported.

The contraband was uncovered during counter-narcotics operations in Jalalabad city and various districts of the province, it said.

Without furnishing details on whether the narcotics had been discovered, the statement noted that 2,586 individuals were arrested for smuggling, purchasing, and selling the illicit drugs, and their dossiers were referred to the judiciary for further investigation.

Additionally, police have rounded up 5,786 drug users in the province and shifted them to rehabilitation centers for treatment, it said.

The Afghan interim government, which banned poppy cultivation, drug processing, and trafficking in April 2022, has vowed to fight the menace until the country becomes a drug-free nation.

Earlier on August 20, the Ministry of Interior Affairs said that Afghan counter-narcotics police have thwarted two major drug trafficking attempts and arrested three suspected smugglers in northern Takhar and southern Zabul provinces.

According to the ministry, acting on intelligence tips, security forces launched two separate operations on the outskirts of Taluqan city, the capital of Takhar, and Shajoy district of Zabul, seizing 249 kg of opium and apprehending three traffickers. The detainees are under preliminary investigation and will be handed over to judicial organs for further legal action, the statement added.

In a similar action, Afghan police have uncovered a quantity of weapons and ammunition during two separate operations in eastern Ghazni and southern Uruzgan provinces, the Ministry of Interior Affairs announced on August 20.

The contraband included 16 pieces of heavy and light arms, such as PK machine guns, M16 rifles, Kalashnikovs, assault rifles, and rocket launchers, discovered in Tirin Kot city, the capital of Uruzgan, and Jaghouri and Qara Bagh districts of Ghazni, said the ministry.

Additionally, authorities confiscated a substantial amount of ammunition and military equipment, including communication devices, explosives, and a large quantity of cartridges and bullets during the operations, it added.

--IANS

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