MOSCOW. Sept 2 (Interfax) - Federal Drug Control Service (FSKN) Director Viktor Ivanov has stated a growth in drug transit via Ukraine.
"I know nothing about a large transshipment point but it is a fact that transit via Ukraine has been growing," he said at a press conference on Tuesday answering a question whether Ukraine could become a large drug transshipping point against the backdrop of the current events.
"I may recall the Iraqi situation in this connection. As we know, the situation in Iraq turned extremely complicated after the end of the military operation - there have been constant explosions and murders, the economy is falling and the authorities are weakening. One of the results is a huge flow of Afghan heroin across Iraq," he said.
"Destabilized states present lesser risks to drug mules, drug trafficking," the FSKN chief continued.
In his words, the Federal Drug Control Service had been closely cooperating with Kyiv before the Ukrainian events.
"We have held a number of large operations," Ivanov said.
Now there is a methadone flow from Ukraine into Russia, he added. "You see, Ukraine is taking a replacement therapy," he said.
"We have seen a similar situation in Crimea. Ninety percent of methadone is not given to [drug] users but goes to the secondary market. The volume of methadone in Russia has grown several times. Methadone is a drug and the replacement therapy meant to give it to such a category of users who are unable to fight their drug addiction," he said.