In a report released at a news conference in Dushanbe, representative of the Drug Control Agency (DCA) under the President of Tajikistan, Muqbilsho Muyassar, revealed on February 5 that three police officers and one border guard officer have been detained on charges of being involved in drug trafficking, Radio Liberty’s Tajik Service, known locally as Radio Ozodi, reported on February 6.
Mr. Muyassar noted that two of those police officers are officers of the Interior Ministry’s office in Khatlon province and the third one is an officer of the Interior Ministry’s Office in the Gorno Badakhshan Autonomous Region (GBAO).
Besides, an officer of the Main Border Gard Directorate of the State Committee for National Security (SCNS) has also been detained on suspicion of drug trafficking, Muqbilsho Muyassar added.
He did not give their names and the point of view of the detainees and their relatives is unknown, Radio Ozodi noted.
According to Radio Ozodi, the drug control officers confirmed the information about the arrest by anticorruption officers of three officers of the DCA’s Office in Khatlon province over charges of corruption.
“Speaking at the news conference, the chief of the DCA Investigative Directorate, Kamoliddinzoda, noted that all detainees are currently in custody. He, however, refrained from giving any details regarding their arrest ,” Radio Ozodi said.
Radio Ozodi further noted that the arrest of three drug control officers confirms to a certain extent the validity of president’s harsh criticism directed at Khatlon’s law enforcement agencies that came during his address to a meeting of the Security Council that took place in Dushanbe on January 19.
Recall, President Emomali Rahmon noted serious shortcomings in activities of law enforcement, security and power-wielding structures.
Rahmon, in particular, said that heads of some regional, district and city law enforcement agencies of Khatlon province show irresponsibility in their work.
The head of state pointed out that low professional level, failure to perform official duties, corruption, increase in the number of crimes of terrorist and extremist nature, drug trafficking including with the participation of officers of law enforcement agencies and power-wielding structures, admission of random and unprofessional people into the ranks of law enforcement agencies, and incorrect personnel policy are the main problems in activities law enforcement, security and power-wielding structures.
Due to the large number of offenses and failure to comply with the requirements of laws and military regulations, Emomali Rahmon ordered to dismiss a number of senior prosecutors and law enforcement officials in Khatlon province, including the head of the Interior Ministry’s Office in Khatlon province and his deputies, Khatlon chief prosecutor and his deputies.
