More than 440 Kilograms of opium seized in Kunduz and Badakhshan.
The seizure comes as the Taliban have repeatedly claimed that the cultivation and trafficking of narcotics in Afghanistan have been reduced to “zero.” On Saturday, however, the spokesperson for the Taliban’s police command in Kunduz announced the discovery and seizure of 401 kilograms of opium in the province. At the same time, the Taliban’s Ministry of Interior reported the seizure of 39 kilograms of opium in Badakhshan.
The Taliban’s Ministry of Interior said in a statement on Saturday, September 7, that at least four people had been arrested in connection with drug trafficking in Badakhshan. The ministry added that the detainees would be handed over to judicial and legal authorities after the completion of preliminary investigations.
Meanwhile, Jumauddin Khaksar, spokesperson for the Taliban’s police command in Kunduz, told Radio Shariat, a media outlet affiliated with the group, that 401 kilograms of opium had been discovered and seized in two separate incidents in the Chahar Dara and Aliabad districts of the province. According to him, at least five people had also been arrested in connection with the incidents.
The report comes as the Taliban have repeatedly claimed in recent months that they have brought poppy cultivation and opium production across Afghanistan down to zero. The group has described its campaign against poppy cultivation and drug trafficking as one of the major achievements of its rule.
However, various reports indicate that the cultivation, production, and trafficking of narcotics continue in parts of Afghanistan. The seizure of opium shipments in Kunduz and Badakhshan was reported despite the Taliban’s repeated claims of a sweeping reduction in drug-related activities.
Writer:Salima Aryaei
