Tajikistan detains Afghan marijuana smuggler
DUSHANBE. March 7 (Interfax) - A citizen of Afghanistan carrying 37 kilograms of marijuana has been detained by Tajik Interior Ministry officers near the Tajik-Afghan border, the ministry press service said on Friday.
It was the second citizen of Afghanistan caught carrying a large amount of drugs within the past three days in Shurobod, a city located 250 kilometers southeast of Dushanbe and near the Afghan border.
"Afghan citizen Saidali al-Waladi Ahmad, 36, was detained on drug smuggling charges. He was carrying over 37 kilograms of marijuana," the ministry said.
The Afghan citizen was arrested.
"A criminal case was opened under Article 200.4 on the counts of illegal trafficking of large amounts of narcotic drugs or psychotropic substances with distribution purposes," the ministry reported.
The detainees are facing 12 to 20 years in jail if the court finds them guilty.
Tajikistan, which has the longest border with Afghanistan amongst Central Asian republics, 1,344 kilometers, seized 6,686.5 kilograms of drugs in 2013 or 11.8% more than in the previous year. Drugs are smuggled across Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan into Kazakhstan, Russia, Eastern and Western Europe.