1,500 drug smugglers detained in 5 months: MoI

KABUL (Pajhwok): Around 1,500 people have been arrested nationwide in connection with 107 tons of drugs during the past five months, an official said on Monday.

Maj. Gen. Abdul Khalil Bakhtyari, secretary counter-narcotics at the Ministry of Interior, told an award giving ceremony for martial arts players in Kabul, said counter-narcotics officials had big achievements during the past five months.

He said the detainees possessed 107 tons of drugs and they were arrested during 1,300 operations.

Around 525 raids took place in Kabul alone where 725 smugglers were detained with four tons of different types of drugs, he added.

Khatkhyari sais at present nearly 30 percent of prisoners in the country’s jails were drug smugglers, citing statistics with the prisons department.

He called drug addicts a major problem and called on citizens to assist police in dealing with the phenomenon.

Meanwhile, Lt. Gen. Janan Barikzai, first deputy interior minister, told the ceremony that smugglers were attempting to distribute some plants to farmers for producing drugs, but the people and the government would not allow them to succeed.

“Athletes are models for Afghanistan.”

pk/ma