A TV program of the Interior Ministry of Tajikistan says a joint operation carried out by law enforcement officers of Tajikistan and Russia has resulted in break-up of an international drug trafficking ring, which was engaged in smuggling narcotic drugs into Russia and other CIS member nations. Ten members of this transnational criminal group have reportedly been detained and four others, including its leader Azamat Hamroyev, also known as Annan-Chovandoz (Annan the Rider), have been put on the international wanted list.
According to the Interior Ministry, members of this drug trafficking ring are suspected of having smuggled more than 1,500 kilograms of narcotic drugs into the Russian Federation over the past several years. The police have reportedly managed to trace the gang members after detaining one of them, Mahmadali Komilov, with 55 kilograms of heroin on August 25 this year.
The TV program notes that additional investigation has revealed that these narcotic drugs were part of 200 kilograms of narcotic drugs that had been smuggled into Russia earlier.
On October 18, an active member of this gang Dovoudkhon Zokirov was detained and 308 kilograms of narcotics drugs were found hidden in a home of his relative in Boghiston village subordinate to the city of Hisor.
A totaled reportedly included 281.3 kilograms of heroin and 26.7 kilograms of hashish.
The gang’s leader – the 58-year-old Azamat Hamroyev – has established criminal connections with Afghan drug dealers over the past decade and regularly smuggled narcotic drugs into CIS member nations, primarily into Russia.
It is noted that Hamroyev is resident of the city of Tursunzoda and he has dual Tajik-Russian citizenship. He reportedly has many children with his five wives.
The investigation has reportedly established that Hamroyev has significant property in Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Russia.
“In Tajikistan, Hamroyev has seven private houses, 1,200 head of sheep and goats, more than 90 head of horses, 19 head of camels, 11 cars and trucks, six livestock farms, about 6,000 hectares of land, 7 unfinished facilities, 2 clothing stores and 1 jewelry store. He has 15 kilograms of gold. In the Russian regions of Tver and Tatarstan, Hamroyev has large livestock farms, 200 head of cattle and five slaughterhouses. In Uzbekistan, he has a private house and a laminate production plant,” the Interior Ministry’s TV program says.
Criminal proceedings against the ring members have bene instituted under the provisions of Article 200 (4) of Tajikistan’s Penal Code – large scale drug trafficking.
