Drug-trafficking Into Russia Is Growing

The Federal Border Guard has registered an unprecedented growth of drugs flow into Russia, said Colonel General Konstantin Totsky, head of the Federal Border Guard, during a briefing for foreign military attaches. He said the greatest danger stemmed from the fact that opium and heroin made up the bulk of the smuggled drugs. Border-guards confiscated over 5,900 kg of drugs last year, heroin making up around 40%. Russian border-guards in Tajikistan have confiscated a total of 17 tons of drugs smuggled from Afghanistan since 1993. In addition, virtually every attempt of drug-trafficking is accompanied by skirmishes. The Federal Border Guard head said the Russian border-guards have 60 times engaged in skirmishes with drug-smugglers in 2001; one soldier was killed and four wounded.