DUSHANBE, June 22, 2009, Asia-Plus — Tajik police have warded off an attempt by drug traffickers to transport a large amount of heroin from Dushanbe to Sughd province.
Speaking in an interview with Asia-Plus, the source at the Ministry of Interior (MoI) said that traffic police officers found 50 kilograms of heroin while searching Toyota Avensis belonging to Dushanbe resident S.S. at a traffic police checkpoint Chorbogh in the Varzob district Saturday (June 20) evening.
“The driver and his passenger, who proved to be resident of Khatlon’s Vakhsh district T.A., were detained on suspicion of having been involved in drug trafficking,” the source said, noting that criminal proceedings have been instituted against S.S. and T.A.
Over the first five months of this year, police officers have seized 1,249 kilograms of narcotics, which is 284 kilograms more than in the same period of last year. Cannabis drugs have accounted for more than 71 percent of narcotics seized by police over the report period – 887 kilograms, which is two times more than in January-May 2009. A totaled also included 170 kilograms of heroin, which is 146 kilograms fewer than in January-May 2008.
