Russian drug police seize over 30 Afghan heroin dealers, more than 1,000 kg of drugs
MOSCOW. Sept 18 (Interfax) - Federal Drug Control Service (FSKN) officers have seized over 1,000 kilograms of heroin from a criminal group smuggling the drug from Afghanistan, a source in the FSKN press service told Interfax on Thursday.
"Russian drug control officers have broken up several units of the criminal group. More than 30 drug dealers have been apprehended and charged and another 14, including their leader, are most wanted by Interpol," he said.
"Over one tonne of high concentration heroin sufficient make 12 million heroin doses were seized from the illegal turnover in the course of the inquiry. The drugs would have been worth more than ten billion rubles on the black market," the source noted.
Men who fought in the Civil War in Tajikistan, both on the side of the opposition and on the side of government forces, were the core of the drug-dealing group, he said.
Afghan heroin was brought to Russia by rail amongst fruit and vegetables and by car, hidden in technical cavities, the FSKN representative said.
The group sold at least 200 kilograms of heroin a month, worth over $3 million.
The revenue was deposited with illegal financial centers in Russia, the United Arab Emirates, Tajikistan and Cyprus.
The FSKN said it was searching for the other group members together with the police from the Central Asian republics.
