The Central Asian state of Tajikistan will start on Saturday a coordinated anti-drug operation aimed at preventing the smuggling of illegal narcotics through the country's borders.
Tajikistan is a major gateway to Russia, other post-Soviet states and Europe for drugs from Afghanistan, which is the world's leader in heroin production.
"In accordance with a government directive the operation will be carried out from May 1 until November 30 this year," a spokesman for the country's Drug Control Agency said.
According to the spokesman, the operation will involve police, interior troops and operatives from all security-related bodies as well as customs officers and experts from various ministries and government agencies.
Mobile police teams will be dispatched to all regions of the country to search for illegal plantations of poppy and to intercept suspected shipments of illicit drugs.
This practice proved to be rather efficient in the past, the spokesman said.
According to official data, police seized over 2.3 tons of illicit drugs, including 787 kilograms of heroin, during a similar operation last year. A total of 124 people, including seven Afghan nationals, were arrested and charged with drug-trafficking.
DUSHANBE, May 1 (RIA Novosti)
