DUSHNBE, July 7, Asia-Plus - Officers from the Tajik Ministry of Interior (MoI) have warded off 419 attempts of drug trafficking across the republic of the first six months of this year. 

The MoI source says their officers have intercepted 1,461 kilograms of drugs over the same six-month period.  The totaled included 847 kilograms of heroin.  In January-June 2006, 641 people, including 17 Afghan citizens, have been detained for drug trafficking.  The Interior Ministry department for combating drug trafficking (drug police) has accounted for more than 662 kilograms of drugs seized over the mentioned period, according to the source.

Another attempt of drug trafficking was reported in Dushanbe late Thursday [July 6].  According to information from the Tajik drug police, some five kilograms of heroin were confiscated from the Dushanbe resident Sayfiddin Azimov.  Criminal proceedings have been instituted against him, and an investigation is under way.