Pubdate: Thu, 28 Jun 2001
Source: Times of Central Asia (Kyrgyzstan)
Copyright: 2001 The Times of Central Asia
Contact:  http://www.times.kg/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1202

OVER 1,300 KILOGRAMS OF DRUGS CONFISCATED ON TAJIK-AFGHAN BORDER THIS YEAR

MOSCOW. Guards from the Border Group of Russia's Federal Border 
Service have confiscated more than 1,300 kg of drugs, including over 
970 kg of heroin, on the Tajik-Afghan border since the year began, 
the Russian border department's press secretary Sergei Ivanchenko 
told Interfax on Tuesday.

"The amount of heroin impounded over the period glaringly exceeds all 
last year's indicators. For the entire year of 2000, more than 800 kg 
of heroin was held up on the Tajik-Afghan border," he said.

Ivanchenko also said that most attempts to smuggle drugs across the 
Tajik-Afghan frontier are accompanied by armed clashes with drug 
traffickers.

"In 2001, Russian border guards have engaged infiltrators over 20 
times and have been fired on about 30 times. Three servicemen have 
been wounded," the spokesman said.
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