An Italian citizen was arrested by Afghan security forces on charges of drugs smuggling from Kabul International Airport.
Interior ministry said Sunday that the Italian national was arrested along with 1.334 kg of hashish and 24 grams of opium.
The Italian national was looking to smuggle the drugs to Italy but was arrested by Afghan border police in Kabul International Airport, interior ministry said in a statement.
The statement by interior ministry further added that the detained individual has been introduced to judiciary institutions.
Afghanistan has been the greatest illicit opium producer in the entire world and opium production has been on the rise since the US-led invasion in 2001 despite billions have been invested by international community in counter-narcotics projects.
The United Nations office for Drugs and Crime (UNODC) announced in November last year that the opium cultivation in Afghanistan has reached a record level.
UNODC officials said over 200,000 hectares of land was planted with the poppy for the first time in Afghanistan, which shows an increase of 36 percent as compared to last year.
The officials also warned that opium production was likely to rise again this year, citing uncertainty regarding the withdrawal of NATO forces and presidential elections.
