KABUL – Afghanistan security forces have foiled a smuggling bid fromAfghanistan to India at the Kabul Airport.

Khaama Press has reported that a bid to smuggle around two kilograms andtwenty grams of heroin to India from Hamid Karzai International Airport inKabul has been foiled by the Afghan security forces.

The Ministry of Interior of Afghanistan (MoI) in a statement said a man wasarrested as he was attempting to smuggle around 2.27 kgs of heroin to Indiavia Hamid Karzai International Airport.

The statement further added that the man was detained as he attempting touse his suitcase for the smuggling of the heroin.

According to the ministry, a large packet of heroin was professionallyplaced inside the suitcase but the bid was foiled before the allegedsmuggler manage to pass through the security checks.

No further details have been given regarding the identity of the detainedindividual as the ministry of interior says further investigations areunderway in this regard.

This comes as the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) releasedits latest findings regarding the opium cultivation in Afghanistan earlierin November yeare, informing regarding a 87 per cent rise in opiumcultivation and production in the country as compared to last year.

According to the latest UNODC report, there has been a rapid expansion inopium cultivation in 2017 due to a rapid expansion of the areas used tocultivate poppies.

The report further adds that the production of opium in the current yearstands at 9,000 metric tons.

“Increased insurgency and funding to terrorist groups is likely withinAfghanistan while more high quality, low cost heroin will reach consumermarkets across the world, leading to increased consumption,” the reportsaid.

The UN office says the farm gate value off the opium for the year has beenestimated at $1.4 billion which shows a 50 per cent increased as comparedto last year.