The local officials in the north of Afghanistan on Saturday said that poppy cultivation has grown in Badakhshan province.
Badakhshan Governor has said that lack of security has caused poppy cultivation to grow in the province, adding that poppy has been cultivated in 11 districts of the province.
“According to our assessments, poppy cultivation has increased in Badakhshan province and this is a phenomenon that has brought the Government, people and youths to challenges.” the Governor Shah Waliullah Adib said.
But the officials in adjoining provinces of Badakhshan say that they will seriously start combat to decrease poppy cultivation in the provinces. The efforts are ongoing to completely destroy the cultivation.
“Our future plans are to seize the drugs and put the drug smugglers in laws ,” Ahmad Faisal Bekzad said.
“We are certainly sure and have plans to start work against poppy,” Baghlan Governor Sultan Mohammad Ebadi said.
Meanwhile, the Interior Ministry confirms the increase of poppy cultivation in northeastern parts of Afghanistan but stressed that new plans are under way to decrease the cultivation and detain the smugglers in these parts of the country.
“We try to increase the level of arrests in Badakhshan province and target main smugglers and we as well try to put the farmers who are smuggling and encourage others for poppy cultivation on black list,”
the Deputy Minister of Interior for Counter Narcotics Department Baz Mohammad Ahmadi said.
Mr Ahmadi reported that Afghanistan’s drug is smuggled 45% through Tajikistan and Uzbekistan borders , 35% through Pakistan and 30% through Iran border smuggles to abroad.