Afghan troops 'break up' drug ring
Afghan officials say security forces, with the support of Nato troops, have broken up an alleged drug-smuggling ring after a series of joint raids against narcotics traffickers in the country's south.
The military operation began on Friday and ended on Sunday in Bahramcha district of Helmand province, the Afghan interior ministry said.
It said the raids resulted in the deaths of 63 alleged Taliban members and drug smugglers linked to them.
Another 10 alleged members of the smuggling ring were arrested by the counternarcotics task force.
"The operation was successfully completed [on Sunday]," the statement said.
As a result of the raids, more than 16 tonnes of drugs, mostly opium, were reportedly seized in the southern region, which is the centre of a Taliban-led armed uprising and Afghanistan's biggest poppy-growing area.
Two factories for converting opium into heroin were destroyed and "a large number" of weapons and ammunition were seized in the raids, according to authorities.
Officials also said that joint forces managed to free 14 civilians being held by the smugglers and confiscated weapons, explosives and detonable vests during the operation.
Afghanistan is the world's largest heroin producer, with annual exports worth up to $3b.
Afghan officials say security forces, with the support of Nato troops, have broken up an alleged drug-smuggling ring after a series of joint raids against narcotics traffickers in the country's south.
The military operation began on Friday and ended on Sunday in Bahramcha district of Helmand province, the Afghan interior ministry said.
It said the raids resulted in the deaths of 63 alleged Taliban members and drug smugglers linked to them.
Another 10 alleged members of the smuggling ring were arrested by the counternarcotics task force.
"The operation was successfully completed [on Sunday]," the statement said.
As a result of the raids, more than 16 tonnes of drugs, mostly opium, were reportedly seized in the southern region, which is the centre of a Taliban-led armed uprising and Afghanistan's biggest poppy-growing area.
Two factories for converting opium into heroin were destroyed and "a large number" of weapons and ammunition were seized in the raids, according to authorities.
Officials also said that joint forces managed to free 14 civilians being held by the smugglers and confiscated weapons, explosives and detonable vests during the operation.
Afghanistan is the world's largest heroin producer, with annual exports worth up to $3b.
