DUSHANBE, July 15, 2015, Asia-Plus -- According to the Main Border guard Directorate of the State Committee for National Security (CNS), the first half-year of 2015 has seen eighteen armed skirmishes between Tajik border guards and armed drug smugglers on the Tajik-Afghan border.

Nine drug traffickers have been detained, eleven trespassers have been killed and one trespasser has been wounded.

Over the report period, Tajik border guards have seized more than 657 kilograms of drugs.  A totaled included nearly 46 kilograms of heroin, 255 kilograms of raw opium, and 365 kilograms of cannabis.

Besides, Tajik border guards have destroyed about 280,000 bushes of wild hemp over the same six-month period.

In January-June this year, Tajik border guards have also seized 13 firearms and 520 bullets of different caliber.

62 cases of violation of the national border have been reported over the first six month of this year and 54 trespassers and 81 violators of border regime have been detained.

Over the report period, Tajik border guards jointly with other law enforcement agencies of the country have carried out 32 special operations.