DUSHANBE, January 11, Asia-Plus — The UN Office for Drugs and Crime (UNODC) has extended financing for the Tajik Drug Control Agency (DCA) for the fourth time.
Speaking to journalists in Dushanbe on January 11, Mr. Christer Brannerud, Project Coordinator, UNODC Tajikistan, said that UNODC is providing more than $3.6 million in 2008-2010 to support activities of the Tajik counternarcotics agency.
For comparison, in 2007 alone, the United Nations provided some $1 billion to support combating drug trafficking in Afghanistan. “At present there is practically only one donor to support the project for preventing drug threat in Tajikistan – the United States, and if it is possible we also call on other countries to join the fight against this deadly evil,” Mr. Brannerud stressed.
The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) is a specialized UN agency, with mandate of combating illicit drug trafficking and preventing organized crime. In line with relevant UN conventions UNODC activities are being implemented in global, regional and national levels. Since the mid 1990s, the UNODC has been involved into the joint cooperation with the Government and non-government organizations of Tajikistan in combating drug trafficking and decreasing drug addiction. It operates through its office in Dushanbe.
We will recall that in 2007, Tajik law enforcement agencies seized 5,270 kilograms of drugs, which 10 percent more than in the previous year. 1,212 kilograms of this amount were intercepted by the DCA officers.
Officers from the Tajik counter narcotics agency suppressed activities 31 drug-trafficking groups, including eight organized criminal groups last year, Tajik drug control chief Rustam Nazarov remarked at the news conference. “One of such groups, led by Boboyev, was revealed in northern Tajikistan,” said the Tajik drug control kingpin, “Ringleader and all members of this group were arrested when they were trying to transport some 100 kilograms of drugs from Dushanbe to Khujand.”
“We have revealed a similar group, which used women for internally smuggling drugs into the Russian Federation,” said Nazarov, “The leader of this group I currently internally wanted and I hoe that with support of our CIS colleagues he will arrested soon.”
