Afghan Police destroy two drug labs, arrest nine smugglers

Kabul, July 20 Afghan security forces have dismantled two drug processing labs and discovered more than 580 kg of illicit drugs in western Afghanistan's Farah province, the office of the Deputy Minister of Interior for Counter-Narcotics said in a statement on Sunday.

According to the statement, counter-narcotic police launched separate operations on the outskirts of the Bakwa district, where they destroyed two drug labs and confiscated 589 kg of illicit substances. Nine suspected drug smugglers were detained.

The Afghan interim government has stepped up its crackdown on illicit drugs and those involved in the business.

In a similar case, on July 8, the Afghanistan Police thwarted attempts to smuggle 43 kg of illegal opium type drugs and arrested two individuals on charges of involvement in the drug business in eastern Wardak province.

The alleged drug traffickers were attempting to take the contraband, which was smuggled from the northern Balkh, onward to the western Farah province. They were intercepted by police in Wardak's provincial capital, Maidan Shar and drugs confiscated.

Both the arrested men, after necessary investigation, would be handed over to the judiciary for further interrogation, the official further said.

Further, police also launched operations to destroy hashish farms in northern Afghanistan's Badakhshan province.

The campaign formally began from Wardoj and Darayem districts, adding that the drive would last until the province became free of all illegal crops, including hashish and poppy, reported Xinhua news agency.

In line with the directives of the leadership of the Afghan interim government, police would do their best to strictly check the cultivation of illegal crops, including poppy and hashish, the processing of drugs and drug trafficking.

During search operations, police found 1500 kg of opium poppy from inside a tanker of liquid gas on July 5 and arrested a drug smuggler who was attempting to take the contraband out of Takhar province, the official said.

Police also discovered 7.5 tonnes of illicit drugs, including opium poppy and heroin, in the province.

On July 5, in a similar operation, the police discovered an illegal drug of opium poppy type in northern Afghanistan's Baghlan province and arrested four suspects.

Personnel of counter-narcotics police in two separate operations, which were launched in the provincial capital, Pul-e-Khumri and Julga districts a couple of days ago, found 61 kg of opium poppy.

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