15 convicted of drug trafficking

KABUL): Fifteen people were sentenced by a primary court to 5-20 years in jail on the charge of trafficking alcohol and other drugs, the Criminal Justice Task Force (CJTF) announced on Sunday.

The accused were convicted at the end of an open trial on the basis of evidence. They had defence lawyers to plead their cases, CJTF spokesman, Ahmad Khalid Mowahid, told Pajhwok Afghan News.

The men were detained on charge of trafficking more than 1370 litres of alcoholic beverages, 24 kilograms of heroin and 2,026 kg of opium in Kandahar, Herat, Helmand, Farah, Nangarhar and Kabul provinces.

Under the relevant law, a convict could move a court of appeal before approaching the Supreme Court against the verdict.

Last week, an Iranian woman and a Tajik man were sentenced to 20 years in jail on the charge of trafficking heroin and banned beverages.

myn/mud