Afghan police seize 551 kg illegal drugs, arrest two smugglers

Kabul, Dec 2 Counter-narcotics police have seized 551 kg of illegal drugs and arrested two suspected smugglers during a vehicle search operation in northern Afghanistan's Takhar province, provincial police spokesman Nizamudin Omir said Tuesday.

The illicit drugs, consisting of opium, were concealed in a vehicle that was en route to an unknown destination when it was intercepted by police in Taluqan, the provincial capital, Omir added, Xinhua News Agency reported.

The dossiers of the arrested individuals have been referred to the judiciary for further investigation and legal proceedings, said the spokesman.

The Afghan government has intensified its crackdown on illicit drugs and individuals involved in the trade, pledging to continue the campaign until the country is fully free of poppy cultivation and the chemicals used to produce heroin.

On Sunday, local police said that a consignment of illegal drugs was seized in western Afghanistan's Nimroz province and its owner was taken into custody.

The alleged drug smuggler, according to the official, was attempting to take 3 kg of methamphetamine out of the province, but police foiled the attempt and took him into custody, spokesman for the provincial police office Mawlawi Gul Mohammad Qudrat said.

On November 16, the Ministry of Interior Affairs stated that Afghan counter-narcotics police seized a quantity of illicit drugs, including crystal meth, and arrested 21 suspected smugglers in separate operations across multiple provinces.

The seizure included 86 kg of raw hashish, 5 kg of crystal meth, a quantity of methamphetamine, stimulant tablets, and some other types of narcotics.

The drugs were discovered during a series of routine police operations, said the statement.

21 individuals were arrested in connection with the cases, it noted.

The police will not allow anyone to produce, purchase, or smuggle illegal drugs in the country, the Ministry said, reaffirming its commitment to combating the narcotics trade.

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