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Russia claims Asia-based drug network expanding toward Russia and the West
Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan have said that they have reduced the cultivation, production, and trafficking of narcotics in Afghanistan to close to zero.
Russia’s security chief has warned that a growing synthetic drug production network is emerging across parts of Asia, with potential trafficking routes extending toward Russia and Western countries.
Alexander Bortnikov, Director of the Federal Security Service, said a “drug production belt” is taking shape across Southeast Asia, Afghanistan, and Iran, as criminal groups increasingly shift toward synthetic narcotics manufacturing.
Speaking at a meeting of the Council of Heads of Security Agencies of the Commonwealth of Independent States, Bortnikov argued that cooperation with the Islamic Emirate on counter-narcotics efforts could be “reasonable,” citing changes in the regional drug trade.
He said Afghan traffickers are moving away from traditional narcotics toward synthetic drug production, contributing to what he described as an expanding transnational supply chain linking Southeast Asia, Afghanistan, and Iran.
According to him, this network is increasingly extending into Central Asian states, where more illicit laboratories are reportedly being established to produce new synthetic substances.
Bortnikov also claimed that organized crime groups linked to Ukraine have recently become involved in both production and transit operations, allegedly remotely managing drug laboratories in CIS countries. He added that proceeds from these activities are being used, in part, to fund recruitment for attacks in Russia and to acquire weapons.
The FSB chief said Russian security services, working with partner agencies, had dismantled nearly 170 drug laboratories across the CIS in 2025 and seized around nine tons of synthetic drugs.
Bayat Power’s 40-megawatt gas-fired power turbine has resumed operations in Jawzjan province following an inauguration ceremony attended by Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar Akhund, Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs, on Saturday.
During the ceremony, Mullah Baradar praised Bayat Power’s investment in gas-fired electricity generation and encouraged other investors to invest in the electricity sector and other areas of the country’s economy.
He said the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan had taken significant steps towards economic growth and industrialization, creating favorable investment opportunities across the country.
Mullah Baradar also called on investors and industrialists to contribute to Afghanistan’s reconstruction and development and help create employment opportunities for the Afghan people.
Afghanistan’s Minister of Finance, Mohammad Nasir Akhund, has travelled to Iran at the head of a delegation following an official invitation from Iran’s Minister of Agriculture, the Ministry of Finance said.
During the visit, Akhund is expected to meet with various Iranian officials to discuss bilateral economic, trade, customs and other related issues.
The visit will also include discussions on key topics for an upcoming meeting of the joint economic commission between Afghanistan and Iran.
Afghanistan’s Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs, Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, on Saturday inaugurated the rehabilitated 110-kilovolt (kV) power transmission line connecting Maimana and Andkhoy in Faryab province.
According to the Deputy Prime Minister’s Office for Economic Affairs, the completion of the project will provide around 60,000 consumers with a more stable and reliable electricity supply.
Speaking at the inauguration ceremony, Baradar said the project would help meet local electricity needs, expand industrial activities and contribute to the region’s economic and social development.
He said the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) had implemented several electricity generation and transmission projects in a relatively short period, reducing reliance on imported electricity and power outages while creating new opportunities for industrial growth.
Baradar also said several major electricity infrastructure projects would be implemented over the next year to ensure a sustainable power supply, adding that the country’s existing electricity capacity would increase several times.
Addressing Afghanistan’s security situation, Baradar said the country was currently experiencing a level of security that he claimed was unmatched in most countries. He added that foreign tourists and visitors had continued to travel to Afghanistan since the IEA returned to power, including to remote areas of the country.
He rejected security-related concerns raised by some countries over travel to Afghanistan, describing them as unfounded and politically motivated. He called on the international community to strengthen meaningful engagement with Afghanistan based on realities on the ground.
Baradar also invited domestic and foreign investors to invest in Afghanistan, saying a secure and suitable environment had been created for large- and medium-scale investments.
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