Afghan police seize 237 tonnes of hashish

[Indycar]

Afghan police seize 237 tonnes of hashish

 

June 12, 2008 12:00am

 

AFGHANISTAN anti-narcotics police have seized 237 tonnes of hashish in a raid this week, believed to be the biggest haul of its kind in the world.

 

The hashish was seized in the Taliban-heavy Spin Boldak district of southern Kandahar province on Monday, deputy interior minister Abdul Hadi Khalid told reporters in Kabul.

 

The NATO-led force in Afghanistan said the drug stash was worth around $US 400 million and that the seizure would hamper the Taliban's ability to fund the purchase of weapons through the narcotics trade.

 

"To our knowledge, this was the biggest drug seizure in the world," Khalid said.

 

He said the drugs were found hidden in multiple trenches and that all 236.8 tonnes were burned in the trenches later the same day.

 

Another five tonnes of opium was seized in southern Helmand province over the weekend, he added.

 

Sixteen people, including four Iranians and seven Pakistanis, have been arrested in connection with the stash.

 

The NATO-led International Security Assistance Force congratulated the Afghan interior ministry for "likely the world's largest seizure of narcotics."

 

"The Afghan National Police Special Task Force has made a huge step forward in proving its capability in curbing the tide of the illegal drug trade in this country," force commander General David McKiernan said in a statement.

 

"With this single find, they have seriously crippled the Taliban's ability to purchase weapons that threaten the safety and security of the Afghan people and the region."

 

The statement said the hashish weighed as much as 30 double-decker London buses and had an "estimated regional wholesale value of 400 million," some 14 million of which would have been pocketed by the Taliban.

 

Afghanistan is the world's biggest producer of opium, while the cultivation of cannabis increased from 50,000 hectares in 2006 to 70,000 in 2007, according to the United Nations.

Source: http://www.news.com.au/couriermail

Edited June 12, 2008 by Indycar

[bufo marinus]

"To our knowledge, this was the biggest drug seizure in the world," Khalid said.

 

He said the drugs were found hidden in multiple trenches and that all 236.8 tonnes were burned in the trenches later the same day.

 

[bufo marinus]

How the hell do you burn a tonne of hash in a trench in one day ? Sounds like the media have reported some of what may or may not have happened to the hash

[ConvexConepiece]

More like bufo, how do you first weigh all '237 tonnes' to get that figure, and then burn said 237 tonnes entrenched in ditches and whatnot in 1 day? seriously someones high and not from the fumes.

[grace]

How the hell do you burn a tonne of hash in a trench in one day ? Sounds like the media have reported some of what may or may not have happened to the hash

 

The BBC reported that British jets bombed the bunker.

 

 

Afghans seize 'largest drug haul'

Page last updated at 21:07 GMT, Wednesday, 11 June 2008 22:07 UK

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/7449532.stm

 

The seizure comes ahead of a major international donor conference

Afghan police working with British special forces have uncovered a drugs stash of 237 tonnes of hashish.

 

Afghan and British officials say they believe it to be the world's biggest seizure of drugs in terms of weight.

 

The drugs were found hidden in trenches in Kandahar province on Monday. The haul was so large that British jets bombed it to destroy the hashish.

 

Nato's top general in Afghanistan said the find would seriously cripple the Taleban's ability to buy weapons.

 

'Welcome boost'

 

Afghan and British officials said the hashish had a value of more than $400m (£203m).

 

The Nato-led International Security Assistance Force (Isaf) said the hashish weighed as much as 30 double-decker London buses.

 

[The find] was so large that two aircraft were brought in to destroy the underground bunker in which the hashish was being stored

 

UK Foreign Secretary David Miliband

 

"With this single find, they have seriously crippled the Taleban's ability to purchase weapons that threaten the safety and security of the Afghan people and the region," said Isaf's commander, US General David McKiernan.

 

Afghan police received a tip about the drugs cache on Monday morning and found it later that day, Isaf said. Three men were arrested during the operation.

 

The find "reflects the efforts of the Afghan government against the drug trade, and was so large that two aircraft were brought in to destroy the underground bunker in which the hashish was being stored", British Foreign Secretary David Miliband said in a statement.

 

The BBC's Martin Patience in Kabul says the announcement should provide a welcome boost to the Afghan government on the eve of a major international donor conference in Paris in support of the country.

 

In the past, Afghanistan has been criticised by the international community for not doing enough to tackle drugs - especially the opium trade.

 

Afghanistan is estimated to account for 90% of the world's opium.

 

The previous record drugs haul is believed to be 81 tonnes of cocaine seized in Colombia.

[67Special]

more than 2 billion people could have gotten stoned off that stash!

[urbanfarmer]

personal use?

[bufo marinus]

ah so you burn it with a couple aircraft thats's some crazy shit wonder what they used? fricken missile? maybe they dusted the Na-palm off? whooo... that's just stunning?? Isn't it just like those army guys to blow shit up

Anyhow, 237 tonnes is some serious fricken trichome farming I nominate the Afghan peasant farmers as growers of the year that is some outstanding work.

[mull]

The find "reflects the efforts of the Afghan government against the drug trade, and was so large that two aircraft were brought in to destroy the underground bunker in which the hashish was being stored", British Foreign Secretary David Miliband said in a statement.

 

Reckon you could safely say they destroyed the bunker..

[mega]

i think they use the same hoven that they use to burn body...