The British ambassador to Afghanistan on Wednesday said his country was committed to supporting the Afghan government's fight against narcotics.
In addition to support for good governance and implementation of the constitution, Britain would stay committed to jointly fighting the menace of drugs with Kabul Primary Counter-Narcotics and Intoxicants Tribunal, he said.
William Petty, addressing a press conference in Kabul, also referred to the strategic cooperation pact with Afghanistan. The agreement stressed a joint campaign against drugs. "The production and smuggling of drugs is harmful to the future of British an Afghan citizens."
Also present on the occasion, the tribunal head, Mohammad Zaman Sangari, said they had awarded punishment to 575 individuals on drug charges over the past nine months. The convicts included six foreigners, 33 government figures, six women and others, he explained.
According to the official, most of the arrests were made in Helmand, Kandahar, Nimroz, Kabul, Herat, Farah, Badakhshan, Takhar and Kunduz provinces.
He said about 180 tonnes of drugs, 135,000 litres of alcohol and chemicals used in drugs were seized. The counternarcotics tribunal was set up in 2005 to try drug cases.
