Police discover illegal drug, detain one in Afghanistan

Kabul: Police discovered 18 kg of hashish-type illegal drug and arrested an alleged drug trafficker in eastern Khost province of Afghanistan, said a news release of the provincial police office on Wednesday. According to the statement, the alleged smuggler was attempting to sell the contraband in the Garbaz area, but police identified and took him into custody on Tuesday, Xinhua News Agency reported.

Police would hand over the drug smuggler to the judiciary after completion of preliminary investigation, the statement added. On Tuesday, local authorities said that Afghan police had discovered narcotic substances and arrested four individuals on charges of trafficking drugs in northern Afghanistan’s Baghlan province.

Mullah Mohammad Nabi Kamran, provincial director for counter-narcotics police, said the suspects were detained in various areas of Pul-e-Khumri, the provincial capital. During the operation, security forces seized a range of narcotic substances, including hashish and other heroin-related products. The suspects are currently under investigation, and further legal action is underway.

On January 13, the Ministry of Interior Affairs said that Afghan security forces uncovered and torched three clandestine heroin processing laboratories and a large amount of illicit drugs in western Farah and southern Helmand provinces. Counter-narcotics units carried out targeted operations on the outskirts of the two provinces, destroying the facilities and recovering substantial quantities of substances used in heroin production, according to the ministry’s statements.

As part of ongoing efforts to combat drug addiction, Afghan police have recently rounded up 172 drug users in Kabul. These individuals have been transferred to a rehabilitation centre for medical care and support. Meanwhile, Afghan forces conducted 10,599 operations throughout 2025, confiscating 2,356 tons of illicit drugs and dismantling 517 clandestine drug processing labs, according to official figures.

On December 21, provincial police headquarters stated that Afghan counter-narcotics police had destroyed a drug processing laboratory and arrested one suspect in connection with the case in the eastern Laghman province. Acting on a tip-off, police carried out an operation in Mehtarlam district on December 20, where they uncovered a drug processing facility. A large quantity of materials and equipment used for heroin production was seized and destroyed at the site, the statement said.