KABUL, Feb. 18 (Xinhua) -- The Afghan police have arrested 23 drug traffickers within a week, said a statement of Afghanistan's Counter-Narcotics Criminal Justice Task Force on Monday.

"During the past seven days, the Counter Narcotics Police of Afghanistan and detective security organization arrested 23 people, relating to 21 cases of narcotics and intoxicant drugs trafficking in different provinces of the country," the statement said.

Three public service personnel were among the arrestees, the statement added.

The police also confiscated 10 vehicles, one rickshaw, 27 mobile phones, as well as currencies totaling about 3,300 U.S. dollars over the period, the statement noted.

All 23 cases were sent to the Central Narcotics Tribunal, a special Afghan court for jurisdiction of major drug cases for further investigation, according to the statement.

In 2018, some 6,400 tons of opium has been produced in Afghanistan, particularly in western and southern parts of the country where government security forces have little presence, compared with 9,000 tons in 2017, according to Afghan officials.

The decrease in opium production was attributed to the reduction in poppy cultivation, poppy fields' destruction and a drought, officials said. Enditem

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