Police destroy 251 acres of poppy plantation in Afghanistan

Kabul, July 23 (IANS) The counter-narcotics police have destroyed 251 acres of poppy plantation in north Afghanistan’s Baghlan province, a statement by the provincial police office said on Tuesday.

The illegal crop was destroyed during counter-narcotics operations conducted by the police on the outskirts of Pul Hesar district of the province, the statement said, Xinhua news agency reported.

Without providing more details, the statement noted that the operations will continue across the province and the security forces will not allow anyone to cultivate poppy or any other illegal crops.

The Afghan caretaker government banned poppy cultivation and its processing into drugs and drug trafficking in April 2022. Since then, the administration has been fighting to eliminate the drug menace in the once poppy-growing Asian country.

–IANS

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