More than 2,000 kg of drugs seized on Tajik-Afghan border in January-May

In January through May 2003, Russian border guards controlling the Tajik-Afghani border seized and destroyed more than 2,350 kg of various drugs, including more than 1,490 kg of heroin, reported the press service of the border guards garrison of the Russian Federal Border Service in Tajikistan.

Throughout the whole period, the situation on the border was characterized by high activity of drug traffickers, mainly on the border sections controlled by the Panj and Moscow border detachments.

Apart from that, the border guards have detained more than 70 trespassers, which exceeds the total number of trespassers detained in 2002.

On 15 occasions, the border guards entered into clashes with armed drug couriers and were attacked with guns from the Afghan territory 7 times.

They also seized /from trespassers/ 20 pieces of firearms, about 3,500 pieces of ammunition /ranging from cartridges and mines to missiles/, about 10 wireless sets, and more than 11 kg of explosives.