140 poppy growers detained in Nangarhar

JALALABAD (PAN): As many as 140 people have been arrested on the charge of cultivating the banned poppy crop over the past 20 days in eastern Nangarhar province, an official said on Tuesday.

The arrests were made in Sherzad, Achin, Lalpura, Khogyani, Pachir Agam and Spin Ghar districts, the governor’s spokesman, Ahmad Zia Abdulzai, told Pajhwok Afghan News.

The growers were arrested following a series of meetings between officials at the governor’s house to prevent the cultivation of poppies.

He said the governor had ordered stern action against poppy growers. The detainees would not be released on requests from tribal elders, he suggested.

Achin district chief, Hassan Khan, said 36 farmers had been arrested in the Abdulkhel, Pekha, Koshtal, Bandar and Shadal areas of Achin and Spin Ghar districts.

Last year, Nangarhar could not achieve the $10 million reward for failing to curb the cultivation of the illicit crop.

ma/mud