DUSHANBE, July 9, Asia-Plus — Over the first six months of the year, more than 2,670 kilograms of drugs, with some 900 kilograms of them being heroin, have been intercepted in Tajikistan (in the same period of 2006, 2,448 kilograms of drugs were seized in Tajikistan), Asia-plus has learned from Major-General Fayzullo Gadoyev, chief of the Interior Ministry department for combating drug trafficking (drug police).
According to him, the ministry of interior (MoI) has accounted to more than 50 percent (1,583 kilograms, including 538 kilograms of heroin) of drugs seized in Tajikistan in January-June 2007.
“The Drug Control Agency has intercepted more than 521 kilograms of drugs, with 185.5 kilograms of heroin, over the report period, border troops – 453 kilograms of drugs (70 kilograms of heroin), customs officers – 12 kilograms of drugs, with 90 percent of them being heroin, and security officers – some 300 kilograms of drugs, including 97 kilograms of heroin,” the Tajik drug police chief said.
In the meantime, according to the Drug Control Agency (DCA), the Agency board held a meeting on July 7 to sum up the results of work carried out by the counternarcotics agency in January-June 2007. During the meeting it was noted that 59 attempts of drug trafficking have been stopped by the DCA over the report period. The counternarcotics agency has burnt 285.108 kilograms of drugs in January-June. The drugs were confiscated in the course of 2007-08.
Over the report period, the counternarcotics agency has instituted 63 criminal proceedings against 66 people arrested on drug charges. 56 cases have already moved to courts. Over the same six-month period, officers from the DCA have neutralized 8 organized criminal groups dealing with drug trafficking and more than 66 kilograms of drugs have been confiscated from them. 16 joint operations carried out by the DCA in cooperation with other law enforcement agencies of Tajikistan, as well as special services of the CIS states and Afghanistan led to the seizure of 268.529 kilograms of drugs.
