Interior Ministry officials seize 400 kg of hashish in Afghanistan

The Interior Ministry of Afghanistan have seized 400 kg of hashish in a battle with drug dealers in the southern province of Helmand, local police said on Saturday. Smugglers made an armed resistance during the operation. As a result of the shooting one drug dealer was injured and taken to the hospital, the second one was arrested. According to police, the drug dealers intended to transfer hashish to Pakistan. Police also arrested a few “farmers” in the province who owned the fields of opium poppies. Afghanistan is the global production center for opium poppy and opiates like heroin and hashish. There has been a significant rise in drug production since the U.S.-led coalition toppled the Taliban in 2001. Illicit drug trafficking in Afghanistan has more than doubled since that time. Although drug production has declined after peaking in 2007, it remains high.