DUSHANBE, December 11, 2012, Asia-Plus – Representatives from the Drug Control Agency (DCA)’s office in Khatlon province have held a series of meetings with residents of the Hamadoni district in Khatlon province to discuss the drug trafficking prevention issues, the DCA press center reports.
To-date, they have held such meetings with residents of several villages, including Yangiyul, Choilobqamar, Chubek, Hayoiti Nav, Tugul, Tudaboyon and Oqimazor.
The meetings are part of the drugs awareness campaign being carried out by the counternarcotics agency across the country.
The Hamadoni district has been chosen not by chance. The district borders Afghanistan and cases of illegal border crossing and drug smuggling have become frequent in Hamadoni, the source said.
According to official statistical data of the counternarcotics agency, compared to 2010 the cases of seizure of narcotics in Khatlon province last year increased by 50 percent. Four border districts such as Hamadoni, Shouroobod, Farkhor and Panj reportedly account for 73.7 percent of the overall amount of drugs being seized in the province.
Meanwhile, Russian drug control chief Viktor Ivanov notes a recent operation involving drug control officers from Afghanistan, Tajikistan and Russia led to the seizure of more than 400 kilograms of narcotics.
On December 10, Russian media sources quoted Ivanov as saying that raids were carried out in seven Afghan villages, involving some 300 Afghan policemen supported by helicopters. He did not mention the roles played by Tajik and Russian forces. Ivanov said 37 Kalashnikov machine guns, two heavy-caliber machine guns, and grenade launchers were also seized. According to him, 13 “militants” were detained. He said a similar raid last September resulted in the seizure of thousands of kilograms of narcotics and the destruction of six drug labs.
