DUSHANBE, October 23, Asia-Plus – Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan are seriously concerned over an increase in production of drugs in Afghanistan.
Heads of counternarcotics agencies from these countries made such a statement at a meeting in Khujand, the capital of Sughd, on Friday, October 20.
According to information from the Tajik Drug Control Agency (DCA), participants at the meeting discussed issues related to expanding cooperation in discovering drug transportation channels. The meeting also focused on measures to combat transnational organized crime and organize and carry out joint operations.
The statement, in particular, said, “Expressing concern about expanded scales of production of opiates in Afghanistan, increasing volumes of smuggled drugs, as well as realizing a serious threat of drug trafficking to health of the population and socioeconomic bases of the countries of the region, participants at the working group made a number of specific decisions to expand cooperation between special services of the countries in fighting drug trafficking and drug addiction.”
The DCA source noted that the next meeting of heads of the Central Asian counternarcotics agencies is scheduled to be held in the first-half year of 2007.
