DUSHANBE , July 20, Asia-Plus - Police in Dushanbe burned 690 kilograms of drugs on July 20.  The totaled included 448 kilograms of heroin, more than 196 kilograms of cannabis and 46 kilograms of raw opium.  

Fayzullo Gadoyev, head of the Interior Ministry department for combating drug trafficking (drug police), has told Asia-Plus that the drugs were confiscated in the course of 2005-2005.  “The drugs burnt today were material evidences on 204 criminal proceedings, verdicts on which had already taken effect,” Mr. Gadoyev said.  

According to him, a bulk of the drugs destroyed today would had cost more than US$1 million on the black market in Tajikistan, and if this bulk had been transported to Russia it would had cost from US$15 million to US$20 million there.  

The drugs were burnt in the presence of the commission comprising representatives from the law enforcement agencies and judicial bodies, as well as media.  

“1,188 kilograms of drugs, with 457 kilograms of them being heroin, have been burnt over the past six months,” the Tajik drug police chief said, adding that some 1,500 kilograms of drugs have been confiscated by police since the beginning of the year.