865 drug smugglers detained in 3 months

KABUL (Pajhwok): A counternarcotics ministry official on Tuesday claimed at least 865 smugglers had been detained and 76 tonnes of drugs recovered during the last three months.

Lt. Gen. Baz Mohammad Ahmadi, deputy interior minister, told reporters his department had made progress in curtailing drug trafficking despite reduced technical and financial assistance from the international community.

A large quantity of drugs had been recovered during raids in Kabul and surrounding areas, he added. The detainees included 37 civil servants and high ranking police officers and13 women, he informed.

Ahmadi went on to explain that poppy cultivation fell by 36 percent this year. In addition, the number of drug addicts decreased from one million to 600,000.

He expressed optimism that a separate budget would be allocated for his department in the current fiscal year to help control the menace of drug smuggling.

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