Afghanistan Times
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KABUL: Officials in the western Ghor province said that drug dealers intentionally seek to deteriorate the security situation in the province in order to pave the ground for drug trafficking.
Based on a survey conducted by the National Statistics and Information Authority there is 46 percent increase in poppy cultivation in Ghor compared to last year.
Residents and activists said that drug trafficking has surged in parallel to rise in insecurity.
“Ghor is a hub for drug smuggling from Faryab, Sar-e-Pol and Jawzjan to Helmand province,” he said, “and therefore, drug dealing is a good income for drug dealers, Taliban and other irresponsible armed groups. The Taliban fights to maintain control on the transit paths.”
Ghor Provincial Council criticizes the government for failing to prevent the poppy cultivation in the province. “The government didn’t make good progress in countering narcotics in Ghor,” he said.
But security officials called on the people to cooperate with the government in countering the narcotic challenge. Provincial police spokesman, Amirdad Parsa said that the opium cultivation is being conducted in the areas which are under Taliban control. “26 drug dealers were arrested this year in Ghor, and referred to the Attorney General Office. We also seized 4,000 kilo drugs from them,” he said. “Unfortunately, opium is cultivated in Tiura, Charsada, Ahangraran districts.”
The poppy cultivation and rising insecurity cause tens of youths to get addicted to drugs.
