DUSHANBE, April 9, 2014, Asia-Plus – Officers from the Interior Ministry’s office in the city of Tursunzoda last week detained a group of persons and trotyl (TNT) was confiscated from them, a source at the Ministry of Interior told Asia-Plus Wednesday afternoon.

An investigation is under way and according to one of versions, they were going to explode the aluminum smelter located in Tursunzoda.

Radio Liberty’s Tajik Service reports that a source at the Tajik Aluminum Company (TALCO), which runs the Tajik aluminum plant, has said that four employees were among the detained persons.

Tajik aluminum smelter situated not far from the Uzbek border is one of the biggest industrial enterprises in Central Asia.

Uzbek authorities have repeatedly complained about harmful emissions from the Tajik aluminum plant.  According to them, industrial waste from the plant had caused health and environmental problems.  Meanwhile, Tajik officials are dismissive of Tashkent’s complaints.  According to them, rumors about harmful emissions from the Tajik aluminum plant have no real grounds.

The aluminum plant, run by the TALCO, was launched in late March 1975.  It is one of the ten largest aluminum smelters in the world and provides more than 70% of the country’s foreign currency earnings, consuming 40% of the country’s electrical power.  Tajikistan does not mine alumina but imports the raw material through tolling arrangements.