DUSHANBE, October 11, 2010, Asia-Plus  -- The 53-year-old resident of Dushanbe, M.R., who is suspected of transporting foreign mercenaries via Tajikistan into Afghanistan, was arrested on October 10, Asia-Plus has learned from the source at one of the country’s power-wielding structures.

“The preliminary investigation has established that in March 2009, the detainee met at the Dushanbe airport three residents of Russia’s Dagestan republic, who arrived here to participate in the so-called “jihad” in Tajikistan and Afghanistan,” said the source, “He put them up at his home and then transported into Rasht Valley.”

We will recall that one of the mercenaries, Magomed Sapiullayev, was detained in Tavildara district, eastern Tajikistan in July 2009.  He was shown on Tajik TV the same month.  Sapiullayev, in particular, noted that he had arrived here with two his fellow-countrymen, who were students at Kizlyar madrasah.  According to him, from Dushanbe they were transported into Tavildara district, where they were armed and blessed to jihad.  Sapiullayev took part in attack against Tajik security forces in Tavildara district in summer 2009.

Tajik officials said they killed several insurgents and detained some 100 others in eastern Tajikistan in July 2009 in what they said was an operation against drug traffickers.