Afghanistan Busts Heroin Factories, Detains 17 in Ghor

Afghan security personnel have destroyed eight clandestine heroin manufacturing facilities in Ghor province, in the west of the country, and arrested 17 individuals suspected of involvement in drug trafficking, a local police official said on Sunday.

What happened

Anti-narcotics units raided the outskirts of Chaharsadah district based on intelligence and a tip-off. The illegal labs were destroyed during the operation, and officers recovered substantial quantities of chemicals used to make heroin, as well as narcotic materials.

What happens next

Provincial police spokesman Maulvi Abdul Rahman Badri said all detained suspects have been placed in custody and handed to judicial officials. Case files have been dispatched for further legal action.

The operation is part of an ongoing nationwide anti-drug campaign aimed at smugglers, illegal farmers and drug production networks. Authorities say the goal is to eliminate Afghanistan's illicit narcotics economy.

Recent seizures across the country

On October 18, police in western Farah province burned nearly one tonne of illegal drugs. Spokesman Kalimullah Nangyal said the batch included 955 kilograms of opium-related narcotics, hashish and 36 kilograms of methamphetamine, all seized in separate recent operations. One suspected trafficker was arrested and will be presented in court after preliminary investigations.

On October 16, the Helmand province Information and Culture Directorate reported that anti-narcotics police had seized 136 kilograms of opium-related drugs from two vehicles in Sangin district on October 15. Three suspected traffickers were detained, questioned and held for investigation. They too will be transferred to judicial authorities once the initial probe is complete.

Finally, on October 13, police in western Herat province destroyed 161 tonnes of various illegal narcotics by burning them. These had been recovered during a one-year anti-drug campaign in the province.