The Taliban’s Ministry of Interior announced that its security forces in Ghani Khil district of Nangarhar province have seized 44,000 intoxicating tablets, 28 kilograms of hashish, and 20 kilograms of opium. According to the ministry, four people have been arrested in connection with the case.
In a statement issued on Thursday, 25 Saratan, the ministry said that a Kalashnikov rifle was also recovered from the arrested individuals. The Taliban stated that preliminary investigations into the case have been completed and that the suspects will be referred to judicial and legal authorities for further proceedings.
In recent months, the Taliban have repeatedly reported the seizure of thousands of intoxicating tablets and significant quantities of narcotics in various provinces across Afghanistan. This comes as international reports continue to highlight developments in Afghanistan’s drug market and its implications for global narcotics trafficking.
The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), in its World Drug Report 2026 released on 5 Saratan, warned that the unprecedented decline in opium production in Afghanistan, coupled with the expansion of synthetic opioids, is reshaping the global drug market.
The report noted that no other country has so far been able to compensate for the decline in Afghanistan’s opium production. The United Nations also emphasized that, despite the reduction in production, remaining opium stockpiles in Afghanistan have not yet been fully exhausted, and estimates suggest that these reserves are likely to last until the end of 2026.
Writer:Salima Aryaei
