17 Jun 2014 13:27

FSKN says EU turns into leading consumer of Afghan heroin

MOSCOW. June 17 (Interfax) - The European Union has become a leading consumer of Afghan heroin, Federal Drug Control Service Director Viktor Ivanov said.

"The biggest heroin consumer is countries of united Europe, and the Russian Federation ranks second," Ivanov told reporters in Moscow on Tuesday.

The Federal Drug Control Service said earlier that Russia was No 1 consumer of Afghan heroin.

According to Ivanov, Afghan heroin is mostly smuggled to Europe along the Balkan route, via Iran, Turkey and Balkan countries. Afghan drug trafficking via Iraq and Africa has grown lately, Ivanov said.