Kabul, Nov 16 : Police in southern Afghanistan's Helmand province have seized a cache of weapons and ammunition and arrested one suspect during a recent operation, provincial police spokesman Mullah Ezatullah Haqqani said Sunday.

According to Haqqani, the confiscated items include six Kalashnikov rifles, three hand grenades, a mortar launcher, an M16 assault rifle, a shotgun, as well as hundreds of bullets, cartridges and other illegally stored military equipment, Xinhua News Agency reported.

The ammunition was discovered in Helmand's Gereshk district, where police also apprehended an individual suspected of involvement in the case. The detainee has been transferred to custody for further investigation.

Earlier on November 9, provincial police spokesman Haqmal Saad said Afghan police had seized illegal weapons and explosives in the eastern Panjshir province and detained an alleged smuggler.

The haul, which included three AK-47 assault rifles, a pistol, a pair of binoculars, hundreds of rounds of ammunition, and other military equipment, was recovered at a checkpoint.

The man was arrested while attempting to smuggle the contraband out of the province, the official added.

Saad urged the public to assist security forces in locating illegal arms and reiterated that police would not permit the illegal possession or transportation of weapons anywhere in the province.

In a similar operation a week ago, police in the southern Kandahar province arrested three other arms and ammunition smugglers.

On November 6, the provincial police office in a statement stated that police discovered seven pieces of firearms and ammunition in central Afghanistan's Daykundi province.

The weaponry, which includes three stocks of Kalashnikov assault rifles, a rocket-propelled grenade, a machine gun, two hunting guns and hundreds of bullets and projectiles, was recovered from a house during operations in Pato district recently, the statement added.

Police have also arrested an individual on charges of keeping the weaponry illegally, the statement further said.

The statement also called upon the people to avoid keeping or carrying arms illegally.

As part of efforts to ensure law and order in post-war Afghanistan, the Afghan government has vowed to collect arms and ammunition from anyone living outside the security organs.

/IANS