On Monday, November 9, 2026, the Afghan Ministry of Interior Affairs announced that police forces had seized more than 160 kg of illegal drugs in the northern provinces of Takhar and Badakhshan, while arresting two individuals during the operation.
The seizure figures were broken down by district: 83 kg of narcotics were recovered in the Kalafgan district of Takhar province, and 79 kg were confiscated in the Tashkan district of Badakhshan province, the ministry’s statement said.
According to the official release, the police teams carried out coordinated searches of suspected trafficking sites across the two provinces, targeting a key smuggling route that links the northern Afghan interior to nearby transit points.
Interior Minister officials described the operation as a “significant success in the fight against drug trafficking,” noting that the seized substances were intended for distribution beyond national borders.
The protest and arrests took place amid ongoing efforts in the region, where local authorities have intensified patrols and interdiction measures in response to rising drug‑trafficking activity.
Security officials said that both arrests were made at the scenes of the drug storehouses where the narcotics had been kept. No public details about the suspects’ identities were released at this time.
The Ministry of Interior Affairs has released statistics on drug interdiction over the past year, noting that the number of seizures has risen 12 percent compared to the previous period, although it has not provided a breakdown of those totals.
Transporters and warehouse managers in the affected districts have faced increased scrutiny following the operation, with police crews holding simultaneous checkpoints along major trade routes to intercept any further illicit movement.
Officials emphasized that the confiscated drugs will undergo forensic analysis before being held for storage as evidence in upcoming prosecutions, which the ministry said will be carried out in accordance with national legal procedures.