KABUL - Thirty-two tons of substandard and expired medicines were buried in central Kabul province on Saturday, the acting public health minister said.

The medicines, belonging to 51 importing and manufacturing companies, were destroyed in the Gazk area of Bagrami district, Dr. Suraya Dalil said. She added the companies themselves had requested that the products be destroyed.

Dalil said the Ministry of Public Health had destroyed 55 tons of substandard and expired medicines this year and about 340 tons last year. The drugs had been smuggled into the country by "opportunists".