DUSHANBE. Jan 21 (Interfax-AVN) - Russian border guards based in Tajikistan are prepared for an increased inflow of drugs, given the record-high crop of opium poppies in Afghanistan last year.
The UN program for controlling drugs reported that Afghanistan's record-high crop was sufficient to make 110 tonnes of quality heroin.
In addition, Afghan laboratories have produced more than 1,000 tonnes of opium, from which over 100 tonnes of heroin may be obtained.
"This year, criminal groups will continue operations to smuggle drugs from Afghanistan to Tajikistan," commander of the Russian border group in Tajikistan Alexander Markin told Interfax on Tuesday.
He said that after relative stability was restored in Afghanistan, the flow of drugs was expected to decrease. But the situation has not changed and drug contraband remains a problem, Markov said.
He said the amount of heroin seized in 2002 was almost equal to the amount seized in 2001 - 2.3 tonnes.
"In total, we seized over 4 tonnes of drugs in 2002," he said.
From 2000 to 2002, Russian border guards seized more than 12.6 tonnes of drugs, including 5.5 tonnes of heroin, on the Tajik-Afghan border.