Destruction of 230 Acres of Opium Poppies Begins in Ghor Province

The Ghor Police Command has announced that, as part of a nationwide campaign, over 230 acres of land cultivated with opium poppies in Pasaband district have been destroyed. According to officials, this action is being carried out based on decree number 31 issued by the Taliban administration leader regarding the prohibition of narcotics cultivation.

The Ghor Police Media Office, in a press release, stated that the campaign began with the presence of local officials from Pasaband district and that the destruction operations are ongoing. According to the information provided, the areas of Aktoba, Bayankha, Datoraak, Tajwin, Chekarbar, and Izadawan are among the regions where opium poppy fields are being eradicated.

Officials added that the destruction process will continue until all areas of Ghor province are completely cleared of opium poppy cultivation. Meanwhile, local residents have consistently expressed concerns over the lack of alternative livelihoods for farmers in recent years; a matter that experts consider one of the fundamental challenges to sustainable drug control efforts.

Simultaneously, there are reports that in some parts of Ghor, the wild plant “Yama” is being used to produce methamphetamine-type drugs. This issue has raised concerns about the spread of new types of drug production in the province.

Although the Taliban administration has repeatedly spoken about banning narcotic cultivation and production, the lack of transparency in statistics, the scarcity of alternative economic programs, and how ongoing monitoring is conducted in remote areas have raised questions about the sustainability and effectiveness of these efforts.