DUSHANBE, December 26, 2008, Asia-Plus — Two Afghan drug dealers that were reportedly involved in kidnapping Tajik nationals to clear debts have been detained by Tajik border guards in Khatlon’s Shuroobod district, according to the main border directorate within the State Committee for National Security (GKNB).
Khoushnoud Rahmatulloyev, a spokesman for the border directorate, told Asia-Plus on Friday that a special operation carried out by border guards in the border village of Porvor in Shuroobod on December 24 led to the arrest of two Afghan nationals Khairullo valadi Sulaymon and Sufinazar valadi Imomnazar. More than 100 kilograms of drugs and two sub-machine-guns Kalashnikov were confiscated from them.
“Preliminary investigation has established that Khairullo valadi Sulaymon and Sufinazar valadi Imomnazar were involved in drug trafficking and kidnapping Tajik nationals to clear debts,” the spokesman said, noting that arrest of the mentioned drug dealers will promote stabilization in the region.
Criminal proceedings have been instituted against the drug dealers and an investigation is under way.
It is to be noted that Shuroobod is the most vulnerable part of Tajikistan’s common border with Afghanistan. Residents of border villages in this district are falling prey to drug dealers who are taking desperate measures to recover debts. They are taking Tajiks from their border villages and held hostage until their families pay ransom money to clear debts.
