More than 1,000 arrested for drug smuggling

Monitoring Desk

KABUL: The Counter Narcotics Justice Center (CNJC) at a gathering released its annual report about their achievements and said that more than a thousand people have been arrested on charges of drug smuggling.

The CNJC reported that 1,081 cases of narcotics smuggling have been registered in the past 12 months, and 1,287 people have been arrested, including 37 women and three foreigners.

The CNJC said that they have arrested 205 persons at Hamid Karzai International Airport, including 13 women attempting to smuggle contraband into India and the UAE.

“1,771 persons including foreigners and Afghans have been convicted by the primary court and 905 persons have been accused by the appeals court,” said, Khalid Mauhid, a spokesman for the CNJC.

Meanwhile, some members of the Wolesi Jirga (lower house) of Afghanistan said that the big reasons that Afghan youth want to smuggle narcotics are poverty and joblessness.

“The administration, which is responsible to fight narcotics, is involved in corruption and is a shareholder with the people who distribute the narcotics in

Kabul and also in Nangarhar, and in every province of the country,” said, AbrarullahMurad, a member of the Wolesi Jirga.

“The lack of security causes youth to be addicted, and the poverty is another reason for addiction,” said Mohammad Asim, a civil society activist.

This comes as citizens’ concerns are growing about the selling of narcotics in the bazaars of the country, especially in Kabul city, without any limitation.

“The government itself distributes materials; the selling and buying of narcotics are available here very much in every square of the park,” said Akhtar Mohammad, Kabul resident.

“There are some people who distribute the narcotics and the government does not care about it, and the government should identify the narcotics dealers,” said Abdul Khaliq, another resident of Kabul.

In the NCJC annual report from the past 12 months, Kabul with 327 cases was first in narcotic crimes, and Nangarhar–with 155 cases–was second.(TOLOnews)