DUSHANBE, August 19, 2008, Asia-Plus — The main border directorate within the State Committee for National Security (GKNB) has summed up the results of a joint operation, dubbed Dostyk-2008 (Friendship-288), which was conducted within the CIS area on August 4-17, Khoushnoud Rahmatulloyev, a spokesman for the main border directorate, said.
According to him, the main objective of the operation was in warding off illegal border crossing attempts, trafficking in drugs and weapons, as well as illegal migration.
“In the course of the operation, the Tajik border guards prevented four attempts by trespassers to break through the border,” said Rahmatulloyev, “Three trespassers killed, one was wounded and four others were detained.” 61 border violators have been detained and 123 kilograms of drugs, including 9 kilograms of heroin, 102 kilograms of marijuana and 12 kilograms of raw opium, have been seized. Besides, 16 firearms, 22 shells, 24 antipersonnel mines and some 10,000 bullets of different caliber have been confiscated from smugglers, the spokesman said.
“Three members of the outlawed religious extremist Hizb ut-Tahrir organization have been detained,” Rahmatulloyev said, adding that more than 551,000 bushes of wild hemp have been destroyed.
By resolution of the council of the CIS commanders of border troops, the operation is carried out every year. Headquarters of the Dostyk-2008 Operation is in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.
