KABUL (Pajhwok): The Counter-Narcotics Department of the Ministry of Interior (MoI) burned nearly 200,000 kilogrammes of various types of narcotics in Kabul on Saturday that had been seized during the past year.

Deputy Minister of Interior Sheikh Mohammad Qasim Khalid said during the event that drug cultivation and trafficking had peaked in previous governments, when Afghanistan topped the list of narcotics-producing and trafficking countries.

He said that smugglers were still attempting to continue the drug trade using sophisticated tactics and different methods.

Khalid added that in less than a year, the Counter-Narcotics Department had discovered and confiscated nearly 200,000 kilogrammes of different kinds of drugs, including crystal meth, hashish, tablet K, Zikap, opium, heroin, cannabis seeds and acid - all of which were set ablaze today.

He explained that smugglers had used various routes to transport narcotics from one province to another and then to foreign countries.

According to Khalid, 750 people had been arrested and referred to judicial organs during the same period.

He noted that the confiscated drugs were seized at checkpoints and through intelligence-based operations in the central zone.

He urged young people to stay away from narcotics, reaffirming the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA's) commitment to combating this menace.

Meanwhile, Mufti Abdul Mateen Qane, spokesman for MoI, also addressed the gathering, saying that IEA launched a decisive campaign against narcotics four years ago.

He pointed out that Afghanistan had once been a hub for drug processing and trafficking, but IEA's determined efforts had effectively ended this issue.

Qane praised a recent UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) report released last Thursday, saying that under the previous administration, there had been about 300,000 poppy fields in Afghanistan.

He added that according to UNODC's report, there were currently around 10,000 narcotics fields in the country, though IEA rejects this claim, saying the satellite images were taken before the eradication campaign began.

Three days ago, the UNODC announced that poppy cultivation in Afghanistan had decreased by 20 percent in 2025 compared to last year.

The sharp decline, along with changing market indicators, suggests major shifts in opium production and trafficking across the region.

Qane further said that there was evidence showing certain types of drugs were being smuggled into Afghanistan from neighbouring countries, particularly Pakistan.

He emphasised that after ensuring nationwide security, IEA's next major achievement had been its fight against narcotics.

According to him, the drugs burned today weighed nearly 200,000 kilogrammes and included both liquid and solid substances, as well as modern synthetic types. He added that the cultivation, trafficking and production of narcotics in Afghanistan had now been reduced to zero.

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