Afghan forces deal blow to heroin traders

An Afghan task force seized more than 15 tons of opium in raids on illegal drug laboratories as part of President Hamid Karzai’s crackdown on what he calls the nation’s biggest threat.

That amount of opium, one of the largest seizures in recent years, could have been refined into about 1.5 tons of heroin. UN surveys estimate Afghanistan accounted for three-quarters of the world’s opium last year.

The raids took place yesterday in the eastern Nangarhar province. Special Narcotics Force agents also destroyed 24 opium presses that are used to refine the drug. They also seized three tons of chemicals used to process opium into heroin and five AK-47 assault rifles.

But no arrests were made as the labs’ operators apparently fled just before the operation began.

Karzai said in his inaugural address that the country’s booming drug economy - estimated to account for 60% of gross domestic product – will be the top priority in his fresh five year term.

He said it is linked to terrorism and called it a bigger threat than the Taliban and al-Qaida insurgents who mount almost daily attacks in the countryside.

Officials preparing a crackdown on Afghanistan’s booming illegal narcotics industry have begun training a legal task force for special courts they hope will begin jailing heroin and opium kingpins within months.

A secure court and prison facility is being set up at a notorious prison near Kabul to house the first convicts by the middle of 2005.

Plans are also being laid to punish farmers by destroying opium poppy crops in key growing regions early next year. Meanwhile, hundreds of millions of pounds are earmarked to help them switch to less lucrative but legal crops.