KABUL (SW) – The Ministry of Interior of the Islamic Emirate has rejected a United Nations report on the increase in opium cultivation and production in Afghanistan, calling it “far from the truth.”
In a statement posted on the Ministry’s official X account, Abdul Matin Qani, spokesperson for the ministry, wrote that the cultivation and production of narcotics in Afghanistan had decreased over the past year.
The statement further emphasized: “Narcotics are a destructive phenomenon and are prohibited in Islam. The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, considering this fact and in accordance with the leadership’s directive, has prioritized the fight against this issue.”
On Wednesday, November 27, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) released a report claiming that opium cultivation in Afghanistan had increased by 30% compared to the previous year.
According to the report, 433 tons of opium were produced in Afghanistan this year, with an estimated value of around $260 million.
Since regaining power, the Islamic Emirate has banned the cultivation and production of narcotics in Afghanistan, claiming that the current levels of opium cultivation and production are the lowest they have been in over 20 years.
