BERLIN, September 13 (RIA Novosti) - Russian Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov called Afghanistan the source of "drug aggression" against post-Soviet states and other countries, citing statistics that attribute 90% Europe's heroin supply to the country.
Ivanov, who is currently on a visit to Germany, is especially concerned over up trends in Afghan heroin production.
"In 2003, Afghanistan produced 360 tons of heroin, in 2004 - 420 tons and in 2005 its production surpassed 500 tons, " he said.
Ivanov said Russian law enforcement agencies have seized 50 tons of Afghan-made heroin since the beginning of the year and that Afghanistan's share of world opium production reached 87% this year. He said illegal crop areas of narcotic producing plants grew 60%.
"These figures clearly prove that the fight of world powers against drug trafficking has not yet brought any positive results and that the world trade of Afghan-made drugs reached a $30 billion benchmark," Ivanov said.
