DUSHANBE (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 18th February, 2022) After the Taliban movement (under UN sanctions for terrorism) came to power in Afghanistan half a year ago, drug trafficking in Tajikistan increased, the director of Drug Control Agency, subordinate to the Tajik President's Office, said on Thursday.
"After the Taliban came to power, drug trafficking from Afghanistan to Tajikistan increased. More than 2 tonnes of seized drugs out of the total of over 4 tonnes have been seized since August 2021, when the Taliban came to power," Habibullo Vohidzoda told reporters.
A total of 4,083 tonnes of drugs have been seized in Tajikistan in 2021, which is 68.4% or 1,658 tonnes more than in the previous year, the official said.
"The largest amount of drugs was seized in the Khatlon region, bordering Afghanistan - 2,391 tonnes or 58.6% of the total amount of drugs seized in the country," Vohidzoda said.
On February 10, Director of the Russian Foreign Ministry's Third CIS Department Alexander Sternik told Sputnik that there is a "real" threat of drug trafficking from Afghanistan to Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan and then to Russia. The post-Soviet countries cooperate within the Commonwealth of Independent States in countering the drug traffic, Sternik added.
Right after the Taliban seized power in Afghanistan, the movement's spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid, said that drugs would no longer be produced in the country, and nobody would smuggle drugs.
