The spokesman said synthetic drugs are smuggled into Afghanistan from neighboring countries and some European nations, and urged those states to cooperate to prevent drug trafficking.

We ask neighboring countries to cooperate with us in the struggle against drug trafficking so as to cut it out. We suffer due to security and drug-related problems in these countries, Qani stated.

The Interior Ministry added that poppy cultivation and drug production have been banned in Afghanistan and efforts to eradicate them continue.

The Ministry’s criticism of neighboring countries comes after some United Nations agencies and neighboring states expressed concern over increased drug trafficking from Afghanistan to the region.

Earlier, the Interior Ministry’s deputy counter-narcotics minister also stated that the international community has not taken practical steps to collaborate in the fight against drugs.

jrr/jav/mem/nvo