DUSHANBE, July 2, 2008, Asia-Plus — Drug trafficking from Afghanistan has become the main threat to the CIS southern border, Tajik Defense Minister Sherali Khairulloyev remarked in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan on July 2, following the 54th session of the CIS defense ministers.
Russia’s news agency Itar-Tass cited the Tajik defense minister as saying that over the first quarter of this year alone, smuggling Afghan drugs into Tajikistan has increased by nearly 40 percent.
Khairulloyev also stressed that after sending forces of international antiterrorist collation to Afghanistan production of drugs in that country had not reduced but even increased. However, there is no military threat to the CIS southern border, the minister said.
