DUSHANBE, July 16, 2009, Asia-Plus  -- Tajik law enforcement authorities have summed up the results of the first phase of the anti-drug operation, dubbed Poppy 2009, the was carried out across the country from May 10 to July 1 2009.

According to press service of the Drug Control Agency (DCA), 2,500 law enforcement officers, 900 representatives of local authorities and the public from all regions of the country have been involved in the first phase of the operation.

The first phase has revealed 72 cases of growth of wild hemp on a total area of 15,015 hectares; 1,874,807 bushes of hemp have been destroyed.

1,134 kilograms of narcotics were seized during the first stage.  A totaled included 354.7746 kilograms of heroin, 271.1481 kilograms of raw opium and 426.4807 kilograms of cannabis narcotics.  Besides, two firearms have been seized over the report period, the DCA press service said.