Drug-Smuggling Through Tajik-Afghan Border Has Not Decreased

In spite of the on-going anti-terrorist operation in Afghanistan, the quantity of drugs smuggled from this country to Central Asian states, Russia, and the West through the Tajik-Afghan border has not decreased. Konstantin Totsky, head of the Federal Border Service said this during the briefing after the 42nd session of the CIS Border-Guard Troops Commanders Council held in Moscow. According to him, Afghanistan is "the principal source of this evil, and it is Afghanistan that the bulk of drugs to Russia and Central Asian countries comes from." "We are especially concerned by the fact that the share of heroin, the heaviest and most dangerous drug, is rapidly growing in the drugs turnover," the general noted. He said that a total of 28 documents related to all issues of the agenda had been signed. Totsky singled out the document concerning urgent measures for consolidating the efforts of the CIS countries' border-guard services to counter the most dangerous forms of trans-border crime, including terrorism, along with and manning of the CIA Anti-Terrorist centre in Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan. The general told that delegations of 10 CIS countries' border-guard services participated in the session. Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan did not take part in the work of the Council. Totsky also reported that the 43th session of the CIS Border-Guard Troops Commanders Council would be held in Minsk on January 29, 2002.