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Haji Watan, an international drug lord, among arrested smugglers
By Farhad Naibkhel-KABUL: The Counter Narcotics Department of Ministry of Interior on Sunday said that 2,906 drug runners were arrested in the past one year, showing 30 percent increase throughout the country.
“Counter Narcotics Police have conducted 2,919 operations, arresting 2,906 drug smugglers in different provinces in the past one year,” Baz Mohammad Ahmadi, Counter Narcotics Deputy of Ministry of Interior said.
He said that 434 of them were big drug traffickers.
He elucidated that 35 public servants including 21 police and 14 soldiers involved in smuggling, were arrested.
“32 women, who were involved in drug running were also detained, 311 tons of different types of drugs seized and 14 heroin laboratories were damaged,” he added.
Ahmadi said that police managed to arrest a big drug runner Haji Watan in Nangarhar province one week ago.
Haji Watan is a big international smuggler, and was wanted for 10 years.
Ahmadi called narcotics a threat for people and the sources of funding for terrorism, adding that 90 percent of narcotics cultivation located in insecure provinces.
“Despite different challenges police operations increased by 32 percent and discovering and confiscation of narcotics rose by 30 percent in the past year as compared to previous year,” he mentioned.
260 tons of narcotics and alcoholic beverages have been torched, he claimed.
He criticized over decrease of international community cooperation and lack of equipment, saying that police makes efforts to satisfy international community.
He said that the counter narcotics detachment has been disbanded and mostly police are engaged in fighting terrorism.
He said that counter narcotics department need to more equipment and professional personals to fight better country narcotics and eliminate cultivations.
Unfortunately 28 counter narcotics police were killed and 43 others were wounded during operations in past one year, he underlined.
