In the western Afghan province of Nimroz, counter‑narcotics police seized 170 kilograms of opium poppy and detained two suspected smugglers during a hard‑fought operation on the Zaranj‑Delaram highway. The raid took place in the Zanjer Sharqi area, the local police chief, Gul Mohammad Qudrat, told reporters.
Afghanistan is stepping up a nationwide crackdown on drug trafficking and illegal poppy farming. Earlier this week, officials reported that police in Ghazni province—an eastern region—captured 225 kg of opium hidden in the secret compartments of a stolen car. The driver escaped the scene, but authorities are still searching for the vehicle’s owner.
In a tied‑together string of successes, Afghan forces knocked out a drug‑processing lab in Paktia province just days before. Meanwhile, Badakhshan police cleared 400 acres of illicit poppy fields on the outskirts of Baharak, Jurm, Shuhada, and Darayem districts. “We will not allow any prohibited crops anywhere in this province,” provincial spokesman Ehsanullah Kamgar said.
The country’s ban on cultivating illegal crops—poppy, hashish, and others—was put in place by the government in April 2022. It has since helped police snatch a further 92 kg of poppy from a smuggler in Badakhshan who tried to drive the drugs out of the area. The men and the poppy remained in police custody for review.
With these operations, Afghan authorities aim to dismantle the drug‑trafficking network and eradicate poppy cultivation across the country, turning the tide on the illicit trade that has long plagued the region.
Source: ianslive
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