Taliban Claims Seizure of Over 1.6 Million Illicit Tablets in Six Months

The Taliban’s Ministry of Interior has announced the seizure of 1.65 million illicit tablets from various parts of Afghanistan over the past six months.

Abdul Matin Qane, spokesperson for the ministry, stated that combating drug trafficking is a top priority for the ministry and that tangible results have been achieved in this area. He added that drug smuggling, including advanced narcotics trafficking from neighboring countries and even some European nations into Afghanistan, has increased in recent months.

Despite the Taliban’s claims of cracking down on narcotics, the absence of independent oversight bodies, free media, and authorized institutions casts doubt on the accuracy of these statistics. International reports have indicated that since the Taliban returned to power, new methods of narcotics production and smuggling have proliferated across Afghanistan.

The international community has expressed concern over what it sees as superficial efforts by the Taliban administration in fighting drug trafficking and has called for greater transparency and accountability in addressing corruption networks and smugglers linked to the regime.