DUSHANBE, May 18, 2009, Asia-Plus  -- The 35-year-old resident of the Nourobod district, some 100 kilometers east of Dushanbe, Muzaffar Nouriddinov, has been detained on suspicion of having committed a number grave crimes during the civil war in the country in the 1990s, according to the Minister of Interior (MoI).

The source at a MoI Speaking said that during the civil war, Nouriddinov was a member of the armed group of Fathullo Tojiddinov (Ishoni Daroz), who was one of field commanders of the United Tajik Opposition (UTO).

“Nouriddinov is suspected of having committed a number of serious crimes in the territories of Vahdat and Fayzobod districts in 1994-1999,” said the source, “Thus, he is suspected of killing two officers from the Fayzobod police directorate in 1998.”

We will recall that after signing of a General Peace Agreement in 1997, armed formation of Fathullo Tojiddinov also known as Eshoni Daroz had been incorporated into the government forces and until March 2007 he had served as chief of the MoI unit for combating organized crime in districts subordinate to the center.  In June 2007, Fathullo Tojiddinov was arrested on suspicion of having been involved in drug trafficking.  A large amount of narcotics reportedly was found in his car.