Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan destroys poppy farms in Helmand

Local officials of the Islamic Emirate in Helmand say that tens acres of poppy fields have been eradicated in some areas of Kajaki district of the province.

The Taliban Movement, who have taken power in Afghanistan since August 15, 2021, issued an edict in early April banning poppy cultivation throughout the country.

“Those violating the ban will be arrested and tried according to Sharia laws in relevant courts,” said Mullah Abdul Haq Akhund, the deputy interior minister for counternarcotics.

As had been the case in Indochina during the Vietnam War, the US invasion has in fact caused a massive increase in opium production in Afghanistan.

A 2014 SIGAR report said that “levels of cultivation have risen by more than 200,000 hectares since 2001 and that “opium-poppy cultivation levels are at another all-time high”. (ILKHA)