For Immediate Release
March 10, 2005

Afghanistan Fights Narcotics Production

The Government of Afghanistan is committed to pursuing the eradication of narcotics on all fronts. It has adopted the 2005 Counter-Narcotics Implementation Plan to target the cultivation, production and trafficking of drugs in Afghanistan. In 2004, the Afghanistan Special Narcotics Force seized more than 80 tons of narcotics, destroyed 75 drug laboratories and closed two major opium bazaars and other drug markets. The Counter Narcotics Police have more than 750 officers and are still expanding. Soon, a National Interdiction Unit will be established and nine more mobile detection teams will be created.

Source: U.S. Embassy, Kabul, Afghanistan