KABUL: Over the course of the past three months, Afghan authorities have successfully destroyed poppy cultivation on approximately 40,000 acres of land in the northern Badakhshan province of Afghanistan, according to Shafiqullah Hafizi, the director of the counter-narcotics police department in the region.
Hafizi reported that a comprehensive poppy eradication campaign had been underway for the past three months, resulting in the destruction of poppy fields across the province. He further stated that the campaign would continue until all poppy fields in the province were completely demolished, adding that the anti-poppy efforts were nearing completion within the next few days.
Afghan Police Dismantles Drug Processing Laboratory
In a separate operation on Wednesday, police in the northern Jawzjan province dismantled a drug processing laboratory and apprehended its owner. Furthermore, authorities recently destroyed 20 acres of poppy fields in the eastern province of Ghazni.
The international community, including the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), has expressed concerns about the expansion of drug production in Afghanistan. Iran’s permanent representative to the UN, Saeed Iravani, highlighted the persistent issue of drug trafficking in Afghanistan, emphasizing that it has not been completely eliminated and continues to thrive. He also drew attention to the growing presence of methamphetamine testing facilities in the country.
The eradication of poppy cultivation is a significant step in combatting the production and trafficking of illicit drugs in Afghanistan. The Afghan government’s efforts, supported by law enforcement agencies, aim to disrupt the narcotics trade, which has had severe social, economic, and security implications for the region. The ongoing commitment to counter-narcotics operations reflects a collective determination to address this pressing issue and promote stability in Afghanistan and the surrounding areas.
