India seizes Rs200b Afghan heroin haul

Indian officials said yesterday they had seized nearly three tonnes of heroin originating from Afghanistan worth an estimated 200 billion rupees (Dh9.96 billion) amid the chaos following last month’s takeover of the country by the Taliban.

Afghanistan is the world’s biggest illicit opiate supplier but since taking power, the Islamist Taliban have said they plan to ban the drug trade, without giving details on how.

Two people had been arrested in connection with the haul and investigations were ongoing, an official in Gujarat said, declining to be named as he was not authorised to speak publicly.