The Islamic Emirate’s spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid says there is a serious fight underway against the cultivation and trafficking of drugs in an attempt to eradicate all traces of narcotics in the country.

Mujahid emphasized that efforts are being made to prevent drug trafficking, and that since the IEA’s takeover in August 2021, a large number of drug traffickers have been arrested and imprisoned.

“The drug problem in Afghanistan is being solved, this year’s poppy cultivation in the whole country was close to zero, if someone had cultivated in mountainous and distant areas, it was destroyed,” said Mujahid.

“There is also seriousness in the prevention of drug trafficking and every day we witness arrest cases. In the near future, Inshallah, it will reach zero.”

He also assured neighboring countries and the region that they need not be concerned about drug smuggling from Afghanistan and to cooperate with the government and people in the fight against drugs and help find alternative crops to poppies.

“We assure the near and far countries that Afghanistan will not be a drug center. The Islamic Emirate has taken serious steps, but it wants Afghan farmers to cooperate in this issue,” he added.

Experts meanwhile believe that the seriousness of the IEA to ban the cultivation, production and trafficking of drugs will increase the confidence of countries in the current system of Afghanistan and will improve and expand the relations of the countries with Afghanistan.

The IEA’s supreme leader issued a decree banning the cultivation, production, smuggling and use of narcotics a few months ago and warned that violators will be dealt with in accordance with Islamic Sharia law.

According to reports, many farmers in the country have started asafetida cultivation instead of poppies in the country.