Major Opium Cache Discovered by Infantry
The Estonian infantry company in Afghanistan, Estcoy-11 discovered a cache of 175 kilograms of opium that the unit estimates could have fetched over nine million euros had it made to retail black markets.
The stash was found in a building seized with soldiers from the Afghan national army to be used as an observation post, said Capt. Madis Koosa, aide to the commander of Estcoy-11, which is stationed in southern Afghanistan.
"We found an individual in the building who had previously been detained on suspicion of aiding the insurgents but who was later released due to lack of evidence," Koosa recounted. "We decided to search the dwelling thoroughly and found a large quantity of opium hidden under the floor."
The cache consisted of 25 seven-kilogram containers. The opium was turned over to Afghan forces as evidence.
In Afghanistan, possession of such a quantity of opium carries a sentence of 17 years in prison.
Kristopher Rikken