Afghan heroin traffic to Russia still high, official saysMarch 12, 2013 - 10:24 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - The head of Russia’s drug enforcement agency has lamented that Afghan heroin traffic to Russia are still high, RIA Novosti reported “I cannot say that Afghan heroin traffic to Russia has been reduced over the past 10 years because heroin production is not being terminated but on the contrary is unfolding,” Viktor Ivanov, who leads Russia’s Federal Drug Control Service, said. Ivanov said his agency has been discovering “more and more laboratories that produce and send drugs in the direction of Russia.” He explained that most labs are located in Afghanistan’s north. The Russian drug enforcement chief said 4,000-8,000 metric tons of opium is produced in Afghanistan annually, adding that the tremendous amount is too hard to sell in that country, which is why is “is supplied to remote markets, one of which is Russia.” “The second largest market is the EU,” Ivanov said. “It is evident that the problem can only be solved when Afghanistan stops producing drugs in such tremendous amounts.” He said the total drug production in Afghanistan is worth over $100 billion, which, he said, is just a "modest" estimate. Top stories Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev arrived in Moscow on April 22 to hold talks with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". Partner news | International cybercrime ringleaders arrested in Armenia, Ukraine Europol, Europe's crime agency, has arrested four ringleaders of several cybercrime networks that used botnets. Armenia skips CSTO Defense Ministers meeting A meeting of the Council of Defense Ministers of the Collective Security Treaty Organization countries began in Almaty. Armenian, Iranian foreigh policy chief talk over the phone The Foreign Minister of Armenia once again expressed condolences to his counterpart on the death of the President of Iran. Armenia, U.S. customs authorities to boost assistance with new deal The government has approved an agreement with the U.S. government on mutual assistance between the customs authorities. |