KABUL, Nov. 11 (Xinhua) -- Afghan authorities burned more than 53 tons of illegal drugs in the southern Afghan province of Kandahar on Wednesday, provincial police spokesman Mullah Assadullah Jamshid said.
The contraband, which included opium, heroin, methamphetamine, hashish and other illicit substances and materials used in drug production, had been seized over the past three months during a series of operations in different districts, the official said.
The drugs were publicly burned at a ceremony attended by government officials and tribal elders, he added.
Police also arrested 227 individuals on charges of involvement in the drug trade during the period, Jamshid said.
He warned that strict action would be taken against anyone involved in producing or trafficking illegal drugs in the province. ■
