Afghan police foil drug smuggling in northern province, detain 5

SHIBERGHAN, Afghanistan, Jan. 3 (Xinhua) -- Police in northern Afghanistan's Jawzjan province foiled a drug smuggling effort and arrested five smugglers on Wednesday, provincial police chief Faqir Mohammad Jawzjani said.

A group of five smugglers, according to Jawzjani was attempting to take illicit drug including 270 kg of opium poppies from the northern Jawzjan province to the western region of the country when police arrested them and found the contraband from their possession.

All the arrested persons are in police custody and investigation is underway, the official added.