A large-scale narcotics smuggling network operating from Afghanistan into Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has been exposed, revealing a nexus between drug cartels and terrorist groups active in the region. According to sources, massive quantities of narcotics are being smuggled from Afghanistan into Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, particularly the Tirah Valley, where drug traffickers and terrorist factions—identified as Khawarij—are jointly involved in illegal operations.
Sources disclosed that approximately 12,000 acres of land in Tirah Valley and various parts of Khyber district are under narcotics cultivation, generating an illicit profit estimated between USD 1.8 to 2.5 million. A significant portion of this revenue, they revealed, is funneled to the Khawarij, who utilize it to finance terrorism and safeguard their criminal enterprises.
It was further revealed that this cultivation continues under political patronage, with what sources described as a “political-terror-crime nexus” obstructing counter-narcotics and counterterrorism operations in the region.
According to available data, this year alone, 198 people have been martyred or injured in various terrorist incidents across Khyber district casualties attributed to the growing collusion between political elements, criminal syndicates, and militant groups.
