KABUL, Afghanistan, Feb 18 (NNN-AGENCIES) – The Afghan police have arrested 23 drug traffickers within a week, said a statement of Afghanistan’s Counter-Narcotics Criminal Justice Task Force on Monday (today).
“During the past seven days, the Counter Narcotics Police of Afghanistan and detective security organisation arrested 23 people, relating to 21 cases of narcotics and intoxicant drugs trafficking, in different provinces of the country,” the statement said.
Three public service personnel were among the arrestees, the statement added.
The police also confiscated 10 vehicles, one rickshaw, 27 mobile phones, as well as, currencies totalling about 3,300 U.S. dollars over the period, the statement noted.
All 23 cases were sent to the Central Narcotics Tribunal, a special Afghan court for jurisdiction of major drug cases for further investigation, according to the statement.
In 2018, some 6,400 tonnes of opium had been produced in Afghanistan, particularly in the western and southern parts of the country, where government security forces have little presence, compared with 9,000 tonnes in 2017, according to Afghan officials.
The decrease in opium production was attributed to the reduction in poppy cultivation, poppy fields’ destruction and a drought, officials said.– NNN-AGENCIES
