DUSHANBE, March 20, Asia-Plus -- On Monday March 20, a group of visiting Russian journalists visited Tajikistan’s Drug Control Agency (DCA) to familiarize themselves with its activity.  

The met with Tajik drug control chief Rustam Nazarov, who briefed them on the Agency’s activity, its plans for future, as well as told them of the DCA cooperation with Russian and Afghan special services.  

On the present situation at the Tajik0afghan border, Tajik drug control kingpin noted that despite reduction of areas under poppy in Afghanistan, 4,000 tons of raw opium was produced in Afghanistan last year.   

After the meeting with the DCA director the Russian journalists were shown the DCA lab, analytical center, the Agency’s storehouse at which ate present 7 tons of drugs, including 2 tons of heroin, are being stockpiled, as well as familiarized themselves with conditions in the Agency-run pretrial detention facility.  

All the drugs stockpiled at the Agency’s storehouse have been seized by the DCA officers and will destroyed only after courts pass verdicts on their cases. 

According to information from the DCA, officers from the DCA have warded off 14 attempts of drug trafficking and seized more than 100 kilograms of drugs, with 73 kilograms of them being heroin, since the beginning of the year.