DUSHANBE, December 1, Asia-Plus — Two teenagers from Khatlon’s Shuroobod that were taken hostage by Afghans drug dealers have been released.
Khushnoud Rahmatulloyev, chief spokesman for the main border directorate of the State Committee for National Security (GKNB), the 9th grade pupil Khushnoud Safar and his older brother, the 11th grade pupil Khoushbakht Safar were released in an operation carried out by border and security servicemen in the Shuroobod district on November 30.
On November 17, the Safar brothers were taken hostage, and a price of 20,000 US dollars was set for their return (the amount, their farther, who works with the Yol jamoat in Shuroobod, has owed to the Afghan dealers), the spokesman said.
“As a result of the operation, one of Afghan drug dealers was killed and another one was injured,” said Rahmatulloyev, “No casualties were reported among Tajik border guards.”
As it had been reported earlier, a group of armed Afghan dealers took two teenagers from the village of Porvor hostage on November 23,
Tajik villagers living near the Afghan border are falling prey to Afghan drug dealers who are taking desperate measures such as cattle rustling, kidnapping and hostage taking to recover debts. The most vulnerable part of the Tajik border is Shuroobod area. According to unofficial sources, over the past two years, more than 15 people here have been taken hostage to clear money owed to the Afghan drug dealers. Many of them have already been released through negotiations.
