KHOROG, July 25, 2009, Asia-Plus  -- Volumes of narcotics seized in Gorno Badakhshan have been decreasing.

Chief of the GBAO counternarcotics directorate Marodasein Aliyorov remarked this at a press conference in Khorog on July 24.

According to him, the region’s law enforcement authorities have seized 88.9 kilograms of narcotics over the first six months of this year, which is nearly two times fewer than in the same period of last year, when 192.9 kilograms of drugs were seized in Gorno Badakhshan.

“However, it does not mean that drug trafficking in the region has reduced,” said Aliyorov, “We are currently specifying the received data about involvement of residents of the region in drug trafficking outside the region and the country.”

The GBAO counternarcotics directorate chief noted that last year, the GBAO residents were involved in 15 drug-trafficking cases outside the country: 13 cases in Russia and two cases in Kyrgyzstan’s Osh region.

He added that two additional drug control departments had been opened in Gorno Badakhshan – the department with staff of 10 was opened in Murgab and the department with staff of 5 was opened in Ishkashim.