Thursday, March 04, 2010

Forces Discover Drug Caches in Afghanistan

American Forces Press Service

March 4, 2010 - Combined Afghan and international patrols discovered several drug caches in Afghanistan's Nimroz province over the past two days.

Yesterday, a combined patrol discovered 60 pounds of poppy, 892 pounds of white soda ash used in the production of heroin, 300 pounds of ammonium chloride, 3 pounds of ammonium nitrate and various drug- processing equipment, including precision scales and grinders.

A patrol found a cache March 2 containing 55 pounds of wet opium, 100 gallons of liquid morphine, 30 gallons of chemical precursors, 220 pounds of heroin and 110 pounds of heroin waste products.

In separate find March 2, a patrol discovered a cache containing 88 pounds of opium gum, 88 pounds of morphine base, 88 pounds of precursor chemicals for opium processing, and various drug-processing equipment.

In another operation, a patrol found a drug cache containing 4 pounds of amphetamines, a pound of opium and 5 gallons of acid.

"All of these finds were within [four miles] of each other and point to the success of operating jointly and with the support of the local population," said Navy Capt. Jane Campbell, International Security Assistance Force Joint Command spokeswoman.

In other operations:

-- A security force searched a rural compound and detained two suspected insurgents in Helmand province today after intelligence information indicated militant activity.

-- An Afghan and international team captured a Taliban commander during a joint operation in Helmand province yesterday. He is known to have planned and coordinated attacks leading to the deaths of civilians and Afghan forces. Two other suspected insurgents were detained during the operation.

-- Afghan soldiers on patrol with international forces in Kabul province found a significant weapons cache March 2. The combined force found six machine guns, 30 homemade bombs and more than 1,000 explosive fuses.

(Compiled from International Security Assistance Force Joint Command news releases.)

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