DUSHANBE, August 5, 2015, Asia-Plus -- Officers of the State Committee for National Security (SCNS) have reportedly seized more than 54 kilograms of narcotics in three separate operations carried out in Khatlon province.

The SCNS public relation department reports more than 15 kilograms of raw opium and nearly one kilogram of hashish have been seized in the Panj district.  Drug traffickers – residents of Afghan Kunduz province Qari Mohammad and Sadeq waladi Malukbai – reportedly managed to return to Afghan territory.

Two operations carried out in the Qumsangir district have reportedly led to the seizure of more than 38 kilograms of hashish.  Two Afghan drug traffickers have been killed in a shootout.

We will recall that Radio Liberty’s Tajik Service reported yesterday that Tajik authorities say they have “neutralized” a transnational drug-trafficking group along the Tajik-Afghan border.

Tajikistan''s SCNS reportedly said on August 4 that five smugglers were killed in a shootout along the border and some 330 kilograms of hashish and firearms were seized.

According to the committee, four armed groups of Afghan traffickers, which included more than 15 people, tried to illegally cross the border since last weekend, but their attempts were thwarted.

No casualties among Tajik border guards were reported.

The groups were involved in illegal drugs and arms trafficking to Central Asian states and Russia, the committee officials said.

Since January, Tajik border guards say they have thwarted 18 attempts by Afghan smugglers to cross the border, according to RFE/RL’s Tajik Service.

Eleven traffickers have reportedly been killed and more than 650 kilograms of drugs -- including 46 kilograms of heroin -- have been seized.