Shootout at Tajik border - Afghan smuggler detained

Tajik border guards detained a suspected Afghan drug trafficker and seized about 40 kilograms of heroin after a brief border skirmish.

The shootout occurred Sunday in the Farkhor border district when Tajik guards discovered a group of suspected Afghan smugglers who were attempting to cross into Tajikistan, Drug Control Agency spokesman Avaz Yuldashev stated.

Several of the suspected smugglers managed to escape back into Afghan territory.

There were no injuries in the shootout.

The impoverished republic in Central Asia is a major route for drug traffickers from Afghanistan.

The maximum penalty for drug smuggling in Tajikistan is 20 years in prison, the AP reports.

V.Y.