Taliban authorities in Afghanistan's southwestern Nimroz province say they have arrested more than 330 people attempting to cross illegally into Iran.
Gul Mohammad Qudrat, spokesperson for the Nimroz police command, said more than 300 people were detained at a hideout allegedly set up by human smugglers in the third police district of Zaranj, the provincial capital. One person was arrested on human trafficking charges and 10 vehicles, including eight Toyotas, were seized.
In a separate operation, another 30 people were stopped on the Delaram-Zaranj highway while trying to travel to Iran illegally, he said. A man accused of transporting them was detained and a truck was seized.
Thousands of Afghans, many of them young, still attempt the risky journey to Iran in search of work, and some go on towards Turkey and Europe. Dozens have died in recent years from thirst, harsh weather or border shootings. At the same time Iran continues mass deportations: according to the UN refugee agency (UNHCR), more than 581,000 Afghans have been deported from Iran so far in 2026, after more than 1.9 million in 2025.