KABUL, March 5 (Xinhua) -- Afghan security forces have prevented the smuggling of 5,525 kg of gemstones abroad in southern Afghanistan's Kandahar province, the provincial police office said in a statement on Wednesday.
Smugglers attempted to transport the stones illegally, but Afghan security forces succeeded in discovering the precious stones in the Spin Boldak district of the province, the statement said.
The discovered stones have been transferred to the provincial mines department for laboratory testing to evaluate their worth, the statement added.
The Afghan interim government officials have persistently asserted that the possession or smuggling of relics, historical artifacts and precious stones is strictly prohibited. ■
