DUSHANBE, May 27, 2009, Asia-Plus -- A large amount of raw opium was discovered Tuesday morning as a heavy truck KAMAZ loaded with rice fell into precipice near the city of Norak, according to the Ministry of Interior (MoI).

The accident took place some 39 kilometers northwest of the city of Norak at around 10:00 a.m.  “A heavy truck KAMAZ loaded with 15 tons of rice was moving from GBAO’s Shugnan district to Dushanbe; the driver probably could not manage to control the vehicle and it fell into a 150-meter precipice,” the source said, noting that the driver died on the spot.

When examining the vehicle, police officers discovered a number of hiding places containing totaling some 330 kilograms of raw opium, the MoI source said.