A key component of the Government of Afghanistan's National Drug Control Strategy is to target drug trafficking networks. The Government is committed to disrupting the drugs industry across Afghanistan and ensuring there is no safe haven for those who profit from the trade.

To achieve this objective, the Counter Narcotics Criminal Justice Task Force (CJTF) was set up by the Afghan government in January 2005, under the auspices of the Supreme Court, the Office of the Attorney General and the Ministry of Interior.

Its mandate is to investigate and prosecute serious drug-related offences from all over the country, as defined under Article 34 and 36 of the Counter Narcotics law.

The CN law provides penalties and fines for :

1) The cultivation of opium poppy, cannabis plants and coca bushes
2) The production and manufacture of narcotics drugs
3) The possession of, or trafficking of, narcotics drugs or precursor chemicals
4) The import of equipment used in manufacturing drugs
5) Official bribery and corruption related to drugs

The CJTF brings together over 150 staff, including a dedicated Central Narcotics Tribunal (CNT), 35 Counter Narcotics Police (CNPA) investigators, 28 prosecutors from the Attorney General's Office, 14 judges from the Supreme Court, and 43 support staff. They work together through the process of investigations, arrests, prosecutions and appeals.

A new communications department has been set up to communicate the processes and activities of the CJTF, and dissuade people from involvement in all aspects of the drugs industry.

The CJTF is also supported by a range of international advisers and donor funding which has provided investigators, prosecutors and judges with specialist training and equipment. International support for the CJTF demonstrates the joint commitment between the international community and the Afghan Government to destroy the drugs trade.

In the last three years, the CJTF has achieved a great deal in a challenging environment. It has created a functioning court, requiring effective coordination between different agencies, professional investigative procedures and fair judicial processes.