Man Arrested with Nearly 5,000 Narcotic Pills in Nangarhar Province
The Taliban’s Ministry of Interior has announced the arrest of a man accused of trafficking nearly five thousand narcotic pills in Nangarhar province. According to the ministry, the suspect was apprehended with 4,739 narcotic pills during a raid in the ninth district of Jalalabad city.
The Anti-Narcotics Department of the Ministry of Interior stated today (Saturday, 6th of Saratan) in a press release that the arrest followed an operation by intelligence forces, and the accused will be handed over to the judicial authorities after preliminary investigations.
The press release did not provide further details about the exact type of pills or the possible network linked to this case.
This incident comes as the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) has reported a shift in drug consumption patterns in Afghanistan. According to the UN agency, the use of traditional drugs like hashish and opium is gradually being replaced by synthetic substances, including methamphetamine (known locally as ‘shisha’), narcotic pills called ‘Ka’, and some other medications.
Polik Ok Siri, head of the UNODC office in Afghanistan, said on Friday (5th of Saratan), on the occasion of the “International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking,” that the trend of changing opioid consumption in the country is increasing; a development that has raised concerns about the health and social consequences among the Afghan population.
