In brief
In Helmand province, Afghan police dismantled four drug‑processing labs in Kajaki, Nawzad, and Musa Qala districts, seizing a large quantity of illegal production materials. The operation was announced by the provincial Directorate of Information and Culture, which said it had no information about arrests. A separate report from Afintl.com claims authorities shut down 301 drug‑processing facilities in 2026, though it is not corroborated by other outlets.
Police in Helmand province of southern Afghanistan destroyed four drug‑processing laboratories during operations in Kajaki, Nawzad and Musa Qala districts on Monday, according to a statement issued by the provincial Directorate of Information and Culture on Tuesday, Xinhua reported.
The demolition of the labs also saw the seizure of a large quantity of materials used for illicit drug production, the statement added. No arrests were mentioned in the statement.
Only a single source reports a much larger scale of shutdowns: Afintl.com reported that authorities had discovered and shut down 301 drug‑processing laboratories in 2026, according to an unnamed official. The report also noted that the UNODC had indicated Afghanistan's drug ban had weakened that year.
Helmand province, a major opium‑producing area in Afghanistan, has been the focus of repeated efforts by the Afghan government to crack down on illicit drug production. The operation in Kajaki, Nawzad and Musa Qala districts represents the latest instance of such enforcement actions.