Afghan police have burned and destroyed 161 tonnes of various illegal narcotics seized during anti-drug operations in the western province of Herat, a provincial police spokesperson said.

Provincial police spokesperson Sayed Masoud Hussaini said the illegal substances had been seized during anti-drug operations in Herat city, the provincial capital, and various districts across the province.

Without disclosing the number of people arrested for possessing or trafficking the seized drugs, Hussaini said police would not allow anyone anywhere in Afghanistan to engage in the trafficking, cultivation or processing of illegal narcotics. The information was reported by Xinhua News Agency.

Ten Drug Laboratories Destroyed

Officials said on Wednesday that, as part of the anti-drug campaign, police had also destroyed 10 drug-processing laboratories and recovered a large quantity of materials used to manufacture heroin in the neighbouring province of Ghor.

The Afghan government has banned drug trafficking, production and opium cultivation. It has pledged to continue the campaign until the war-affected country, long known for its opium fields, becomes drug-free.

More Than 600 Kg of Opium Seized from Ambulance

On October 9, provincial police spokesperson Naqibullah Masroor said police had seized more than 600 kilograms of opium-like illegal narcotics from an ambulance in the northern Afghan province of Takhar.

In an unusual incident, anti-drug police stopped and searched a private ambulance on Thursday morning and recovered 614 kilograms of opium, the official said.

Masroor said the ambulance was coming from neighbouring Badakhshan province and was disguised as a vehicle transporting a patient. Police intercepted it in Taluqan, the provincial capital of Takhar, and discovered the drugs. He did not provide further details.

More Than Three Tonnes of Drugs Burned in Takhar

In a separate incident, Afghan authorities burned more than three tonnes of illegal drugs in Takhar province on September 30, according to provincial police spokesperson Naqibullah Masroor.

The seized substances included three tonnes of opium, 198 kilograms of hashish and 175 stimulant tablets locally known as “Tablet K”. The drugs were publicly burned in the presence of local government officials and residents.

According to the official, the substances had been seized during various operations conducted across the province over the preceding months.

The official said anti-narcotics police would not allow anyone to produce illegal drugs or smuggle them out of the province. He warned that strict action would be taken against anyone violating the law.