Balkh Police Report Over 500 Criminal Cases and Hundreds of Arrests in Past Year

Law enforcement officials in Balkh province have registered more than five hundred criminal cases over the past twelve months, alongside hundreds of arrests and significant seizures of illicit substances, according to provincial police data.

Mohammad Isa Wasiq, spokesperson for the Balkh Police Command, stated that authorities documented five hundred and three criminal cases during this period. The registered offenses include twenty-four homicides, one hundred and thirty thefts, twenty-four cases classified under moral corruption laws, and three hundred and twenty-seven other violations. Wasiq reported that security forces arrested more than six hundred individuals in connection with these crimes. Of those detained, four hundred and sixteen were apprehended for narcotics trafficking. The operations resulted in the confiscation of approximately one hundred and thirty-five point seven kilograms of narcotics and one hundred and seventy-four liters of intoxicating substances.

The police command also released data on road safety, noting that two hundred and eighty-nine traffic incidents occurred across the province in the same timeframe. These collisions resulted in one hundred and sixty-four fatalities and two hundred and forty-five injuries.

While local residents in Mazar-i-Sharif acknowledged the security measures implemented by provincial authorities, several community members highlighted a recent surge in petty crime. Residents specifically pointed to an increase in street thefts, particularly those involving suspects on motorcycles. Local officials have not yet announced specific operational changes in response to these community concerns, though police leadership emphasized ongoing patrols and enforcement efforts throughout the province.