KHUJAND, August 5, 2009, Asia-Plus  -- Officers from Sughd counternarcotics directorate and local customs officers seized more than 20 kilograms of heroin yesterday.

According to the Sughd counternarcotics directorate, they found packages containing more than 20 kilograms of heroin while checking liner train 29001336 bound for Russia.  “20.254 kilograms of heroin were hidden in seven boxes with dried fruits,” the source said, noting that owner of the cargo, the 29-year-old resident of Istaravshan K., was arrested on suspicion of having bee involved in drug trafficking.

The detainee said that a certain resident of Dushanbe brought narcotics to Istaravshan in January 2009 already and paid him 10,000 U.S. dollars for transporting the narcotics by train to the Russian city of Chelyabinsk and from there by car to the city of Orsk.

Criminal proceedings have been instituted against the drug courier and an investigation is under way.