Over 130 Kilograms of Opium Seized in Southern Afghanistan; Three Suspects Arrested
Authorities in Helmand, Afghanistan, seized over 130 kg of opium and arrested three suspects in a crackdown on drug trafficking.
Helmand, October 16 (Daily Kiran) : Afghan police in Helmand province have made a significant drug bust, seizing 136 kilograms of opium and arresting three suspected traffickers. This operation took place in the Sangin district, as reported by the provincial directorate of information and culture.
According to a statement from the police, the illicit drugs were discovered in two vehicles on Thursday. The suspects are currently in custody and will be handed over to the judiciary following preliminary investigations.
The Afghan government is intensifying its efforts against illegal drugs. Recently, a provincial police spokesperson announced the incineration of 161 tons of illegal narcotics in western Herat province, which had been seized during a year-long anti-drug campaign.
Provincial police spokesman Syed Masood Hosseini revealed that these drugs were confiscated through various anti-drug operations conducted in Herat city and its surrounding districts. However, he did not disclose the number of arrests made in connection with drug possession or trafficking. He emphasized that no one will be allowed to engage in drug trafficking, cultivation, or processing anywhere in Afghanistan.
Authorities also reported the destruction of ten drug labs as part of the broader anti-drug campaign. In addition, significant quantities of materials used for heroin production were confiscated in the neighboring Ghor province.
The Afghan government has imposed a ban on drug trafficking, production, and opium cultivation. Officials have pledged to continue this campaign until the war-torn nation, long known for its opium fields, is entirely drug-free.
On October 9, police in the northern Takhar province seized over 600 kilograms of opium-like substances from an ambulance. In a separate incident, anti-drug police intercepted a private ambulance early Thursday, discovering 614 kilograms of opium inside. The ambulance, which had been falsely presenting itself as transporting a patient from neighboring Badakhshan province, was stopped in the provincial capital, Taluqan. In another case, police in the eastern Panjshir province seized 321 kilograms of illegal narcotics, including 250 kilograms of opium, which were subsequently burned in public.
