Afghan police seize cache of hashish, detain smugglers

Afghan counter-narcotics police have confiscated 199 kg of high-grade hashish and arrested seven suspected drug smugglers in a targeted operation in northern Balkh province, the country's Ministry of Interior Affairs announced late Sunday.



Acting on actionable intelligence, counter-narcotics personnel conducted a precision raid in Police District 3 of Mazar-i-Sharif, the provincial capital, according to an official ministry statement.



During the operation, security forces unearthed the substantial drug cache concealed within the district.



All seven suspects taken into custody have been handed over to the judiciary, with their case files submitted for further legal proceedings, the statement added.



In a parallel effort to curb illicit narcotics production, authorities destroyed around 1,000 acres of poppy fields last week in the neighboring province of Samangan, as part of an ongoing eradication drive.



The Afghan government has significantly intensified its nationwide campaign against the narcotics trade, targeting traffickers, cultivators, and production networks alike.