DUSHANBE, November 3, 2009, Asia-Plus — Attempts to shut down all channels of smuggling precursors into Afghanistan for use in the illicit manufacture of heroin will become one of methods of the fight against drug trafficking, the President of the German Federal Criminal Police Office. (BKA), Jorg Ziercke, remarked at an international conference formally titled “Germany and Central Asia – Strategy for Strong Partnership in Providing Security” in Dushanbe on November 2.
He said that areas under poppy cultivation in Afghanistan have been reduced nearly two times over the past two years. “However, it must be admitted that reduction of the poppy plantations have not yet yielded serious results in fighting drug trafficking in Afghanistan,” said Mr. Ziercke, “Armed resistance of illegal armed formations against prevents from getting more results.”
Mr. Ziercke noted that international community, especially Central Asia’s states, should intensify the fight against leaders of drug-trafficking groups that made Afghan farmers plant opium poppy.
In the meantime, Afghanistan’s Deputy Minister of Interiors, Mohammad Dawud noted that this year, the poppy plantations in Afghanistan have been reduced by 22 percent. According to him, opium poppy is cultivated mainly in the territories controlled by the Taliban.
He added that it could not be ruled out that some of high-ranking Afghan officials were involved in drug trafficking. “However, the fight against drug trafficking is conducted in Afghanistan,” Afghan police official said.
Mohammad Dawud noted that there was a good mutual understanding between Afghanistan and Tajikistan in the case of the fight against drug trafficking. “Afghanistan and Tajikistan have carried out dozens of joint anti-drug operations,” said he, “However, it is not enough and our countries should expand bilateral cooperation in this direction.”
We will recall that the international two-day conference formally titled “Germany and Central Asia – Strategy for Strong Partnership in Providing Security” opened in Dushanbe yesterday.
Organized by the State Committee for National Security (GKNB), the Ministry of Interior and the Drug Control Agency of Tajikistan and the Federal Criminal Police Office of Germany, the conference is discussing issues related to interaction between special services in combating organized crime, international terrorism, extremism and drug trafficking as well as training of personnel for police bodies.
The conference participants include ministers of interiors, chiefs of security services and counternarcotics agencies from Central Asia’s states, Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Representatives from police of China, France, Italy, Canada, Russia, Ukraine, the United States and the United Kingdom as well as specialists from international organizations such as Interpol, Europol, UNDP, UNODC, the European Commission Delegations and the Central Asian Regional Information and Coordination Center (CARICC) are also attending the conference as observers, the press service said.
