DUSHANBE, January 30, Asia-Plus -- Director of Tajikistan’s Drug Control Agency (DCA) Rustam Nazarov denies allegations by some media about poor protection of the Tajik-Afghan border as “unfounded”.  

He remarked this in Dushanbe at a meeting with visiting experts from the Central Asian office of the International Crisis Group (ICG), Daam Van Der Shrika (phonetically spelled), the source in the DCA has told Asia-Plus.  According to the source, in the course of the talks Rustam Nazarov briefed the ICG expert on the situation on the Tajik-Afghan border after withdrawal of the Russian border troops from the border.  The Tajik drug control chief noted that last year a difficult period connected with certain technical problems some ensued when the Russian troops withdrew from the Tajik-Afghan border.  “Despite these technical problems, Tajikistan managed to create a safe barrier on the way of drug smugglings out of Afghanistan,” Rustam Nazarov was quoted as saying.  

“He also noted that last year five joint operation by the DCA and the Afghan law enforcement agencies led to the seizure of more than 500 kilograms of heroin as well as destruction three heroin labs in the Afghan northern provinces,” the Asia-Plus interlocutor said.