DUSHANBE, October 19, 2012, Asia-Plus  -- 30 officers from the head office of the Drug Control Agency in Dushanbe were sent to Gorno Badakhshan and Khatlon province on October 16.

Ms. Bunafsha Odinayeva, the deputy director of the counternarcotics agency, says they were sent to the regions for participation in the ongoing anti-drug operation, dubbed Kuknor-2012 (Poppy-2012).

“In parallel, they will also hold meetings of local drug abuse coordinating councils in order to raise effectiveness of activities of local authorities on preventing drug abuse among the populations of the regions, especially youth,” said Odinayeva.  “Since our agency is a licensing body in the filed of precursors, our specialists will also conduct trainings for customs and border officers on drug profiling and chemical precursors used for production of heroin.”

She added that in the fourth quarter, similar events will be held in Sughd province and the districts subordinate to the center.

The Kuknor Operation is an annual anti-drug operation, involving representatives of law enforcement agencies, local authorities, ministries of agriculture and health, as well as the committee for TV and radio-broadcasting, is dedicated to detect and destroy drug crops across the country.

The operation is usually launched in May and last through November