NATO forces capture huge cache of drugs, weapons

A French gunner mans a machine gun on an armoured vehicle while leaving Forward Operating BaseTagab-Kutschbach

International forces in Afghanistan said Friday they seized a huge cache of opium, heroin and weapons in southern Kandahar province, a centre of illegal drugs production fuelling a Taliban insurgency.

A combined air and ground operation early Friday had stopped a "suspicious vehicle" later found to be carrying the drugs and weapons, NATO's International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) said.

"A subsequent search of the truck revealed more than 5,300 pounds (2,400 kilograms) of processed opium, more than 1,000 pounds of wet opium paste, approximately 50 pounds of heroin and multiple firearms with ammunition," it said.

Most of the drugs were destroyed on the spot and two men were detained, it added.

Kandahar and neighbouring Helmand produce most of the world's opium, the raw material of heroin, in an illicit industry worth billions of dollars.

Drugs, as well as protection money extorted from aid projects, is funding an insurgency that has become increasingly virulent in recent years, experts say.

Later Friday and also in Kandahar, foreign and Afghan forces seized a truck carrying 10 tons of fertiliser containing ammonium nitrate, often used by militants to make the crude bombs that are exacting a huge toll in the war, ISAF said.

"The combined force destroyed the fertiliser, returned the truck to the owner and compensated him for the fertiliser," ISAF said in a statement.

Military officials have said ammonium nitrate is little used in agriculture in Afghanistan, rather than in improvised explosive devices, or IEDs, which are planted by roadsides and usually detonated by remote control.

A US intelligence officer said recently that up to 90 percent of casualties among foreign forces are caused by IEDs.

Helmand drugs cache goes up in smoke

Governor Mangal sets light to 14 tonnes of opium, heroin and precursor chemicals.

FOURTEEN tonnes of opium, heroin and precursor chemicals went up in flames in Helmand on Thursday as Governor Mangal, governor for the province, lit the spark to the seized substances.

The cache was recovered during pro-active counter narcotics police operations in the Lashkar Gah District of Helmand by Afghanistan specialist counter narcotics police and MoD police.

For Governor Mangal, who has been touring Helmand to promote his Food Zone Programme, the drugs-burn was one of a number of events taking place across the province. The programme, which is backed by the UK, is aimed at showing local farmers that there is a viable alternative to growing poppy.

The UK is supporting the Governor's programme with £10 million as part of its commitment to restoring the legitimate agricultural base in Helmand province. All farmers receiving the subsidized wheat seed sign a commitment not to grow poppy.

Around 70,000 farmers have benefited from the programme in the past year.

The last year has also seen a 33 per cent cut in poppy cultivation, with an even higher target set for this year. The programme is being expanded to cover eight districts including Kanashin for the first time where US Marines have helped stabilise the area.

Detective Superintendent Dave Wright EU Police Advisor was at the event, having worked alongside the Afghan National Police:

"The money that would have come from the sale of the opium would undoubtedly have funded insurgents' activities, extending their presence in the region and increasing their ability to launch deadly attacks on the local population and coalition forces.

"This show of force hits at the heart of the insurgency because it significantly reduces their capability to continue the fight. With fewer numbers and diminished resources, they are simply less effective."

RIFLES launch assault on Taliban drugs factory

Soldiers who are about to return home from Afghanistan have dealt the Taliban one last blow, by destroying millions of pounds worth of drugs in an early morning assault.

Troops from 2nd Battalion The Rifles (2 RIFLES) were dropped into the remote Ghorak district, to the east of Sangin, in the early hours of 16 September 2009.

Three Chinooks relayed the troops to the edge of Wushtan village, from where around 100 soldiers ventured further into the compounds, ever wary of the improvised explosive device threat.

Throughout the village, soldiers stumbled upon drug factory after drug factory, uncovering a series of stashes of both opium and poppy seeds.
As they carefully made their way through the compounds, they spotted some insurgents preparing to launch an attack on them. They called in air support and the insurgents were destroyed by an Apache attack helicopter.

The soldiers spoke to villagers and quickly established that up to 45 children from the village had been forced to work in the drug factories, processing opium for the Afghan drug barons.

The total hoard of drugs amounted to 331kg of opium and 135kg of poppy seeds. Locally this would amount to the equivalent of approximately £13,000. But on the streets of Britain its estimated value would be something in the region of £3.3m.

The Royal Military Police and a Tiger Team from the Afghan Counter Narcotics Unit were on hand to dispose of the drugs safely.

Rifleman Carl Dresser, one of the soldiers who found much of the drugs haul, said:

"It was unreal to see that amount of drugs. They were burnt so they won't be on the streets back home."

Rifleman Raymond Gradidge added:

"It's good to see that we are doing something positive both for the local Afghans and keeping drugs off the streets."

The operation, codenamed GHARTSE BRESHNA 3, is one in a series of missions in the Sangin district which have targeted the Taliban's financial and logistical bases, setting the conditions for 3rd Battalion The Rifles to take over from 2 RIFLES in October.

As they moved their way through the village, British soldiers stumbled upon propaganda leaflets from the Taliban, showing an active presence in the area.

Officer Commanding A Company, Major Karl Hickman, said:

"This operation will hit the Taliban hard and demonstrate there is nowhere for them to hide. It has shown that the Afghan National Security Forces and ISAF [International Security Assistance Force] are committed to bring stability and security to the people of Afghanistan."

Two suspects were also detained when traces of explosives were found on them and their clothes. They were handed to the National Directorate of Security to be dealt with.

'Record' Afghanistan drugs bust - BBC

International and Afghan troops have killed 60 militants and made a record drugs haul in an operation in southern Afghanistan, the US military has said.

Its statement said the four-day attack targeted the town of Marja in Helmand province - a Taliban stronghold.

The troops seized 92 tonnes of opium poppy seeds and other drugs, "severely disrupting" a key narcotics centre and command hub of the insurgency.

The US denied reports that civilians were killed during the operation.

However, a spokesman for the Afghan defence ministry told the BBC that it was investigating the reports.

Taliban militants have so far not commented on the US statement.

Weapons seized

On Saturday, the US military said the joint operation focussed on Marja, south-west of the provincial capital of Lashkar Gah.

It said the troops targeted the town's bazaar, describing it as a key hub for militant and criminal operations.

The area was emptied of civilians overnight on Friday, before precision airstrikes were launched, the statement said.

The international and Afghan forces then seized the poppy seeds, along with tar opium, processed morphine, heroin and hashish.

Helmand is the main producer of Afghan opium, which accounts for more than 90% of the global supply.

The US military also said that a large amount of weapons and bomb-making equipment was seized during the operation.

Trading Drugs for food - CNN

Poppy farmers are giving up drugs for planting wheat, CNN's Atia Abawi speaks to Afghan farmers on this change.