Russian Frontier Guards Confiscated More Than 12,600 Kilogrammes of Drugs at the Tajik-Afghan Border Between 2000 and 2002

Between 2000 and 2002, Russian frontier guards confiscated more than 12,600 kilogrammes of drugs, including over 5,530 kilogrammes of heroin, at the Tajik-Afghan border. As RIA Novosti was told on Wednesday in the press service of the Russian frontier troops in Tajikistan, last year alone four tons of drugs were found and confiscated, 64 border trespassers were detained and 87 attempts to illegally cross the Tajik-Afghan border were prevented.

During this period, frontier guards 37 times entered battles with armed smugglers in the course of which 41 armed trespassers were killed. In 2002, Russian frontier guards were shelled 13 times both from the territory of Afghanistan and from the Tajik territory.

Unfortunately, there were losses also on the Russian side. Last year, one frontier guard was killed and eight wounded in battles with armed drug couriers.

According to forecasts of Russian frontier guards, in 2003 the high criminal activity of drug smugglers, especially in the Panj and Moscow sections of the frontier guarded by Russian detachments, will be maintained.